Things We Lost In The Fire
by MerriDowell
Summary: In 1983, a fire claimed the lives of Sam and Dean Winchester's mother and sister, setting their father on his path for revenge. Now, twenty years later, looking for their missing father, the past they thought long dead was about to catch up to them.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

On January 24th, 1979, Mary Winchester gave birth to twins: a boy and a girl. She named them Dean and Deanna Winchester. The two had matching, dirty blonde hair, and bright green eyes. As infants they were inseprable, and as they grew older, only grew closer.

On May 2nd, 1983, Mary Winchester gave birth again. This time to a boy she named Sam Winchester. She held him carefully, brushing the soft patch of hair on his head away from his eyes, her husband holding her shoulders lovingly, as she explained to the two sets of bright green eyes looking at her over the bed rail, that they were older siblings now...that it was their job to look after little Sammy. Both eyes nodded solemnly back, gentle fingers touching Sam's tiny toes as if he were made of glass.

On November 2nd, 1983, Mary and Deanna Winchester were killed in a fire started by a demon hell-bent on destroying the world, leaving behind their boys to struggle on through life without them. Mary was pinned to the ceiling, her stomach cut open above her son's crib, and was burned alive. Deanna, who had been sleeping in Sam's crib with him, was thrown out of the second story window when the room exploded, killed instantly by impacting with the ground and the fire that was already licking at her small body.

John Winchester could still hear Deanna screaming for her mother and father as she flew through the window, even twenty years after her death.

After that, John took the last remaining members of his family, and hit the road, determined to find the demon that had killed his beautiful wife and innocent daughter. Dean took over the care and raising of Sam, even though he was only four-years-old. Even through his rage and need for revenge, sometimes, John couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to Dean if Sam had been killed as well. Without someone to look after, and to care for...to be strong for, John had no doubt that Dean probably wouldn't have interacted with the world again, falling into despair and possibly insanity.

John thanked the God he no longer had faith in every night for sparing his two boys. On the nights when he was too drunk to successfully lie to himself, he had to admitt honestly, that without them, he probably wouldn't have made it either.

On January 24, 1984, Dean Winchester's fifth birthday, he dreamed of Deanna for the first time. She was smiling, and she was happy. She'd been looking all over for him, she'd said. They'd hugged, and in his dream, Dean felt the hole inside of him, that at five he didn't have the words to describe, slowly start to heal. Deanna may have been dead, but his twin wasn't truly lost. Not in the way he'd always thought.

Dean never told his father or Sam about the dreams. And his father didn't question it, when suddenly, after almost two solid months of silence from his oldest son, Dean started talking.

Dean started telling Sam stories about Deanna and Mary before Sam was even old enough to understand. The youngest Winchester grew up knowing everything there was to know about the two women who had been ripped violently from the Winchester clan. He mourned their loss, same as his father and older brother.

Dean always thought it was weird, that every few nights he would dream about his dead sister. As time went on, and as he began hunting, the things he saw and did made his dreams seem like nothing. And it was good to see Deanna. It was good to hear her talk about her 'foster parents', people who had taken her in when she had been found injured in a neighbor's back yard. She'd told him they'd tried to find John and Dean and Sammy, but they had disappeared. She told him about school, and then later, dance classes, gymnastics, her friends...Dean knew it wasn't true, but he enjoyed watching the image in his head grow into the young woman she might have become if she hadn't been taken away. Dean told her about hunting, and trying to find their mother's killer. He taught her the things he'd learned from his father about hunting, and when Sammy grew older, told her about the things he'd achomplished: his first words, first steps, tying his shoes, his straight A's in schools they were barely in long enough...

It felt good to feel someone's praise and encouragement. Even if she wasn't real.

The thing about Deanna was, she never acted like she was dead. She always acted as if she were alive, living as a normal kid. When Dean got older, he grew to understand she was just a figment of his imagination...that it was the sister he would have loved to know and be with if she hadn't been taken from him. Dean never looked into her story, about living in Lawrence with the Warren family.

He didn't think he could take the disappointment when the information was right in front of him. Knowing in your head something wasn't right, and seeing the hard evidence, were two, very different things.

But sometimes, when things were calm...when Sam was tucked close, safe and warm, and their Dad was nearby, doing research or just watching television with them, Dean could almost feel a slight tugging sensation, like he was being drawn towards something or someone. Again, Dean never mentioned it, and never worried too much. It didn't feel dangerous.

It felt like...home.

Twenty-two years after Deanna's death, Dean's father went missing, effectively leaving Dean on his own. Making a decision that cut to the bone, Dean took off for Stanford to retrieve his younger brother and beg for his help finding their father.

What he didn't know, was that his past that he had thought dead for twenty years, was about to catch up to him.

**Author's Note: Let me know what you think. If there is interest, I'll continue. Any kind of review is welcome. I really honestly want your guy's opinion. **


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One:

Dean sat on Missouri Mosley's back porch, listening to the sounds of her and Sam moving around inside, talking about God only knew what. Probably the dreams that have been plaguing Sam. He took a deep breath, absently scratching the orange tabby that had jumped up on his lap behind the ears. Honestly, he couldn't care less what they were talking about. He had enough issues of his own to deal with.

Such as Lawrence, Kansas.

He still couldn't believe he was back. That _they _were back.

If it hurt to see the house from the outside, it had almost eviscerated him to stand inside; to see the living room he remembered racing small mechanical cars with his father, and to stand in the kitchen where he could still remember his mother dancing and singing with him to old Beetles songs. He was glad they hadn't gone upstairs. He didn't think he'd be able to hold it together if he had to see Sam's nursery...or Deanna's bedroom.

It was like being slapped in the face with everything he'd lost.

Dean ran a hand over his face, still staring off into space. He was in so over his head, and he knew it. Quite frankly, he didn't know what to do. Every fiber of his being wanted to throw Sam in the back of the Impala, hog-tied and gagged if necessary, and drive as far away from there as he possibly could. He'd consider another continent if he thought it would help.

Honestly, he wished his dad would show up and take over command. Maybe then he could just sit back and breathe; try to make it so everything didn't hurt so much.

Dean was still sitting there, when he heard the back screen door creak open. Assuming it was Sam or Missouri, he didn't move. It was only when he noticed the black biker boots out of the corner of his eye.

The boots that were too small to belong to Sam or Missouri.

Dean nearly fell off the porch step, when a young woman with short, shoulder length, light brown hair and green eyes identical to his own, sat down next to him.

"Hey, Dean." Deanna Winchester said, sitting down next to the twin she hadn't seen in twenty years.

Dean stared at her in shock, his voice suddenly gone. Deanna stared back, green eyes patient and kind, while she waited for Dean to pull himself together.

"You're...you're not real." Dean whispered, mostly to himself. He reached a hand towards her, but just before he made contact, drew his hand back quickly.

Deanna just smiled. "Oh yeah? Huh. I feel real to me."

Dean just shook his head. "Deanna died. Twenty years ago."

Deanna gave him a long suffering sigh. "Dean, we've been over this. Over and over. I'm not dead." She shook her head, looking down at the ground, twining her fingers together. When she looked up, she was smiling again. "Would it help if I pinched you?"

Dean couldn't take anymore. Seeing her sitting there, smiling and joking at him, was too much to handle. He had a sudden urge to find Sam. To see if he too shared in his hallucination. Dean got up off the porch, and being careful not to touch her, stalked back into the house.

Missouri looked up from the book she was looking at, and frowned at Dean. Sam, leaning against the counter only raised an eyebrow at him.

"I told you that boy was stubborn." Missouri said, looking behind Dean at Deanna.

"Name one time I've ever actually listened to you, Missouri." Deanna said, leaning against the flowered wall paper. "Seriously. In twenty years, I want you to name one time that I've stopped and said, 'Hmm, maybe I should listen to the crazy psychic lady instead of doing things the hard way.'."

Missouri just shook her head. "I always wondered where your attitude came from. Daniel and Valerie were always so polite." She tilted her head at Dean, who was looking like he was about to pass out. "Now I know."

Deanna just grinned, showing off her perfect white teeth, and then turned her attention to Sam. "Hey, Sam."

That seemed to pull Dean out of his shock, and he reached over and slammed Deanna up against a wall, trying to ignore how close she was. He close to enough to smell her. A scent that he remembered from his childhood.

_"You don't get to talk to him."_ Dean growled, holding a fistful of her black leather jacket.

Ignoring the sounds of Sam and Missouri in the background yelling at Dean to let her go, Deanna pushed her arms up between Dean's, and forced them apart. Before Dean could retaliate, she reached up and pushed him against the chest, throwing him back against the kitchen table. He quickly rolled against the edge and moved between Sam and Deanna, as if he were protecting him from a threat.

"_Don't do that again._" Deanna growled back, sounding exactly like Dean. Sam looked between the two of them like he was watching a tennis match, eyebrows pinched together in confusion. The two twins stared each other down.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, knock it off you two." Missouri said. When neither of them moved, she just sighed. "If you two are going to fight, take it outside. I don't want to have to clean up the blood off my floor."

Deanna stared at Dean. "Come on, big brother. Give it your best shot."

Dean was only able to take one step towards her, when a shrill ringing sounded through the kitchen. Deanna reached for her pocket and pulled out a cell phone, still staring at Dean. "What?" She snapped. Immediately she pulled out of the staring contest with Dean and her voice softened. "Hi, Sar."

Dean just raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. Everyone stayed silent while Deanna talked in soothing tones for a few minutes on the line. Finally she hung up, and then returned to looking at Dean.

"Where were we?" She asked, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"We were just at the point where you were going to leave." Dean snapped.

"The hell I am."

"Guys?" Sam asked. Both ignored him.

"She's _dead!_" Dean yelled. "So whatever it is that you are, I want you to know that I am going to hunt you down and rip you to shreds."

"I'm _not_ a demon!" Deanna yelled back. "And I'm _not_ dead!"

"Uh, seriously. Guys?" Sam tried again.

"Then what are you exactly. 'Cause you're not her."

"I am her, Dean! You're just in denial. I'm not a ghost, revenant, or shape-shifter either. And you're not hallucinating either. Sam and Missouri can see me too!"

"She didn't know about that stuff. She died long before we'd gotten into hunting. So if you're using that to try and prove you are her, you just ruined your whole argument. Stay away from me, and stay away from my brother."

"You told me, remember. The dreams? They're real. I'm real! Damn it, Dean. I'm standing right here! Can't you believe what's right in front of you for once in your life?"

"Guys!" Sam finally yelled.

"What?" Both Deanna and Dean snapped, turning to look at him.

"Either of you want to explain to me what the hell is going on?" Sam asked, looking at Dean, and then at Deanna. "Who are you?"

Dean glared at Deanna, who pulled out a chair at Missouri's table and sat back, looking pointedly at Dean. He then looked at Missouri. "You're actually buying this?"

"There's nothing to 'buy'" Missouri said, even using air quotations. "I told you there was so much you boys didn't know. Deanna is just the tip of the ice berg."

"Deanna?" Sam asked, really focusing on her for the first time. If he paid attention, she looked a lot like Dean, just shorter and more delicate. "Like, our sister?"

"Yahtzee." she said, looking at Sam, eyes crinkling the same way that Dean's did. "I have to say, you got _really _tall."

Sam turned to look at Dean. "Did you know?"

"No." Dean snapped. At Sam's look, he plopped down in a seat next to Deanna, resisting the urge to prop his foot up on the edge of the table at Missouri's glare. "Kinda." He amended.

"Kinda?"

"You brother and sister have been communicating through their dreams for years, Sam." Missouri said. "It's a result of their connection as twins. Dean just thought she was a figment of his imagination."

"So she's real?" Dean asked, jerking his thumb at Deanna. Deanna just rolled her eyes.

"_She _is sitting right here."

Sam was staring at the two of them in shock. After years of hearing stories about his sister, to see her sitting and snarking at Dean, as if they hadn't been separated for twenty years, was a bit overwhelming.

Sam opened his mouth, but before he could get anything out, Missouri stood up. "If you two are done having your touching reconciliation moment, maybe we should head out to the house. I need to go in and take a look, see if it's the thing that killed your mom."

"You guys are tracking the demon?" Deanna asked, looking between them.

Dean turned to look at her, really look at her. She turned to stare back, not flinching and not backing down. Right there, in that moment, with his whole world turning inside out right in front of him, Dean felt a long since absent part of it shift back into place. He took a deep breath, and glanced over at Sam. He hitched one shoulder. "Up to you, dude."

Sam sat down across from Deanna.

"See, lately I've been having these visions..."

O~O~O

Sam drove to the house this time, casting nervous, concerned glances at Dean sitting in the passenger seat. Dean had leaned his head against the cool glass of the window, watching in the rearview mirror the black Ducati that was following them. He hadn't taken his eyes off of it since they'd pulled out away from Missouri's house ten minutes ago.

"She's not going to disappear, Dean." Missouri said gently from the back seat.

Dean didn't even move his eyes from the mirror. "You don't know that."

Missouri snorted in the background. "One minute you're threatening her, the next you panic when she leaves your sight."

"Last time I let her out of my sight, she died. Excuse me for being a little paranoid."

Dean had so many questions, and he knew Sam had them too. Unfortunately, Jenny and her kids came first. Sometimes he wished they had the luxury of worrying about themselves before others.

He shook his head. He needed to pull himself together. With long-time practice, Dean shoved all the whirling emotions down deep, took a deep breath, and with effort pulled himself away from the window. He caught Missouri's annoyed glared in the rearview mirror, choosing to ignore her.

Sam pulled up outside the house, Deanna close behind. Sam glanced at him before getting out.

"You ready?"

Dean just glared, and got out of the car. He glanced over at Deanna, who had stopped behind them. She'd pulled off her helmet, and was holding it between her hands, leaning forward on the handle bars. She gave him a small smile, and nodded, letting her hair fall around her face.

Dean saw his mother in that soft smile, and quickly turned away, marching up the sidewalk and up the front steps with Sam and Missouri.

Jenny opened the door after a few seconds holding Ritchie protectively in her arms.

"Sam. Dean. What are you doing here?" she asked, looking from one brother to the other. She then turned to look at Missouri, who gave her a bright smile.

"Hey, Jenny." Sam started, smiling reassuringly. "This is our friend Missouri."

"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house." Dean piped up. "You know, for old time's sake."

Jenny just sighed, and looked around distractedly. "You know, this isn't really a good time. I'm kinda busy."

"Listen, Jenny." Dean started. "It's important."

Missouri chose that moment to slap Dean upside the head. "Give the poor girl a break. Can't you see she's upset?" She turned to Jenny, ignoring Dean's incredulous look. "Forgive this boy. He means well, he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed."

Melodic laughter rang out behind them, and Dean found it interesting that him and Sam already automatically turned slightly towards the sound. He also found it interesting, when Ritchie started struggling to get down out of his mom's arms.

"Dee! Dee!" He cried out.

Dean turned as Deanna walked up the front steps, and watched amazed as Jenny just handed over Ritchie to her.

"How's my favorite little dude?" She asked him, both of them rubbing their noses together. Ritchie just threw his arms around her neck, and Deanna settled him on her hip, turning to look at Jenny. "Hey, Jenny."

"Hi, Deanna." She smiled. "Sari's inside, if you want to talk to her."

"Yeah, she called me. Jenny, I know these guys sound nuts, but you should hear them out."

Jenny motioned towards Sam, Dean and Missouri. "You know them?"

"Yeah." Deanna said. "Please. Just listen to what they have to say."

"About what?" Jenny asked, looking back towards Missouri.

"About this house."

"What are you talking about?" Jenny looked nervously between Deanna and Missouri, ignoring the boys completely.

"I think you know what I'm talking about," Missouri said knowingly. "You think there's something in this house. Something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?"

"Who are you?" Jenny asked, reaching to take Ritchie from Deanna, as if she could draw comfort from holding her child close.

"They're people who can help." Deanna said, handing Ritchie over. "They can stop this thing, whatever it is. You're just gonna have to trust them. Just a little."

"I don't know if I can do that." Jenny admitted.

"Can you trust me?" Deanna asked softly. At her nod, she smiled, and jerked her head towards the strangers on Jenny's porch. "Then trust me when I say, they're just here to help."

Jenny stared at Deanna for a moment, and then sighed, stepping aside to allow everyone inside.

Dean looked at Deanna as they passed her. She gave him a grin, and followed close behind. As Dean turned his back to her, Deanna looked up towards the ceiling, the hairs on her arms standing up on end.

Yeah, something was in that house.

And it was not happy.

**Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for their reviews. They mean more to me than you know. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Next one should be up next week. **

**Thanks again. :)**


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:

Dean and Deanna walked up familiar steps behind Missouri, Sam following closely after his two older siblings.

_Two_ siblings.

That was the part Sam was stuck on. The _'two' _concept.

Sam had always known that Dean was only one half of a whole. Always. Dean himself had even been the one to explain that concept to him when he was little, telling him everything he could remember about Mary and Deanna. Sam remembered he'd been fascinated with the idea of Dean not being a complete person. If his larger than life big brother could fix anything, and do anything when he wasn't even a complete version of himself, what would he have been capable of if the other half had been there.

Complete and whole, Sam hadn't even been able to fathom his older brother as such.

Growing up in each other's hip pockets, Sam had long since stopped thinking of himself as less than a _him _and more of a _them._ It had always been _Dean'N'Sam. Sam'N'Dean._ There really was no difference, and people more than once got them confused with one another. Even at Stanford, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he should be saying '_we'_ instead of _'I'_.

Dean had told him, a long time ago, when Sam was maybe fourteen or fifteen, while high on pain medication, that sometimes he could feel the empty spaces where Deanna used to be. Watching the two of them, Sam understood now what he hadn't understood then. How could you feel an 'empty space'?

Sam watched the two-_two!_- of them in quiet amazement. Dean, who was always tense, even while relaxed, balancing on his toes and ready for the next thing life threw at him, was more relaxed and calm than Sam had ever seen him. Deanna even seemed loose and relaxed, smiling and laughing with Sari when she'd poked her head in the kitchen with Jenny, promising to come back and check out the picture she was working on.

They moved in quiet tandem, almost orbiting each other. When he moved, she moved, and vice versa. He could tell they were tracking each other, even when they weren't looking.

But that wasn't what had caught Sam's attention. Even while still back at Missouri's house, it was their eyes that Sam had latched on to. Dean's green eyes showed his every emotion, even when he didn't want them to. They were bright, and shone even in the dark.

And no matter what, even when Sam didn't deserve it, he could always see the fierce love and protection every time Dean looked at him.

Deanna's eyes were the same.

As if sensing she was being watched, Deanna turned and met his gaze. She smiled at him, a smile soft and kind that he had vague memories of. He wanted the three of them to be able to sit down and talk, to ask and answer questions that should have been discussed years ago. He knew that wouldn't happen until they dealt with whatever was in the house though.

Sam gave her a tentative smile back, slowing letting her presence wash over him, marveling at the fact he could sense her just as well as he could Dean.

Then again, maybe it was the _three_ concept instead of the _two_ he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around.

Missouri was talking softly to them, and Sam finally pulled his gaze from studying Dean and Deanna.

"What?" he asked, looking at Missouri.

Missouri just moved down the hallway, and into a little girl's room. She gently moved her hand along the wall.

"I said, if there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it."

"Why?" Sam asked, stepping around the twins and into the room. Both of them had hesitated at the doorway, and Sam watched out of the corner of his eye as they seemed to force themselves to follow.

"This used to be your nursery, Sam." Missouri said. "This is where it all happened."

Sam involuntarily looked up at the ceiling. He shivered slightly, and then had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes as he felt Deanna move closer to him.

Apparently it wasn't just Dean who was way too protective and observant for his own good.

Dean smiled to himself as he noticed Deanna hovering around Sam's personal space. She'd moved closer to him as they'd ventured further into Sam's-he just couldn't think of it as Sari's- room. He pulled out an EMF meter, flicking it on, glad he didn't have to give her the 'protect Sammy no matter what' speech later on.

Missouri glanced over at him. "That an EMF?"

Dean looked up at her. "Yeah."

Missouri huffed softly to herself. Then louder, so that Dean could hear, said "Amateur."

Dean glared daggers at her, which she ignored, while Sam and Deanna had to work at hiding their smiles.

Dean turned his attention back to the EMF meter in his hand when it seemed Missouri was going to continue to ignore him. It was beeping slightly, red lights indicating supernatural presence, but not doing much more than that.

"I don't know if you kids should be disappointed or relieved," Missouri started after a few minutes. "but this ain't the thing that took your mom."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked. "How do you know?"

"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's somethin' different."

"What is it?" Deanna asked, speaking for the first time since they'd walked into the room.

"Not _it._" Missouri corrected her gently. "_Them. _There's more than one spirit here."

"What are they doing here?" Dean asked, stepping closer to his siblings.

"They're here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house." Missouri turned a gentle gaze on the three young Winchesters. "That kind of evil leaves wounds. And sometimes, wounds get infected."

"I don't understand." Sam said, speaking for Dean as well. Deanna had already heard this speech a time or four.

"This place, because of the evil that was here, would have become a magnet for paranormal activity. Jenny and the kids moving in probably set it off." Deanna said, looking around with wary understanding.

"The evil here has attracted a poltergeist." Missouri continued. "A nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead."

"You said there was more than one spirit?" Sam asked.

"There is." Missouri confirmed, opening the closet and looking around, before turning back to them. "I just can't quite make out the second one."

Dean nodded, "Well, one thing's for _damn_ sure. Nobody's dying in this house _ever_ again." Missouri could feel his protective determination wash over her skin, and she smiled slightly at him. "So whatever _is _here, how do we stop it?"

Before Missouri could open her mouth to answer, Deanna sighed a loud, put upon sigh. "Meet at your house after work, Missouri?"

Missouri nodded. "Yes. And don't forget..."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." Deanna interrupted, she gave Dean and Sam a grin before digging in her pockets for the keys to her bike. "I'll meet you two at Missouri's, okay?"

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, a small wave of panic shooting through him at the thought of Deanna leaving his sight.

"Work. I have a few classes tonight. Plus I have to make a few stops if we're going banish this thing." Deanna said. She looked up and stared at Dean, sensing his unease. "Get my cell number from Jenny. She has it. And I will meet you back at Missouri's house by 8:30."

Dean took a deep breath. It was hard to think that Deanna had a life, a normal life with normal obligations to other people besides their family. Dean didn't even know what that felt like. He sighed, and then pointed a finger at her. "Fine. But if you're not back by 8:30, I'm sending a search party."

Deanna mock saluted him, and then turned around and walked out the door. Dean resisted the urge to follow, and was more grateful than he could even say when Sam stepped up close to him, and bumped their shoulders together in a silent show of support.

O~O~O

Deanna pulled up to Missouri's house at quarter after eight, and grinned when she saw Dean sitting on the porch, Marvin the cat sitting on his lap again.

"Didn't trust I'd be back when I said I would?" Deanna asked teasingly.

"Excuse me for being a little paranoid. This town tends to eat my family members." Dean snarked back. "How was work?"

"Fine. My kids were awesome."

"You...teach dance?" Dean asked, trying to remember what she'd told him in their shared dreams. He'd never imagined any of it was actually real.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "It pays the bills."

Dean could see her smile, even though she acted like it was no big deal. "You love it."

Deanna nodded. "I do. It's fun. I get paid to dance. It's like going to work to play."

Dean nodded, feeling a slight twinge of guilt shoot through him. Deanna wasn't a hunter. She was a normal person, and the more she hung around them, the further from normal she got.

Was it really fair to Deanna, as much as he wanted her close, to take her away from a life she so obviously loved? He'd already pulled Sam from normal...could he do that to Deanna?

Did he want to?

Deanna sensing his unease, tossed a plastic bag at him. "Come on, we've got a poltergeist to get rid of."

Dean frowned at the bag, and then followed her into the house.

Missouri and Sam were sitting at the kitchen table, cups of coffee around the table, surrounded by different herbs and roots.

"Did you get it? Missouri asked as Deanna walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Yeppers. Max had real leather this time. He said to tell you 'your welcome.'"

Missouri rolled her eyes. "That boy is far to arrogant for his own good."

"Tell me something I don't know." Deanna said, taking a deep sip of coffee. It was going to be a long night.

Dean handed the bag off to Missouri, and sat down next to Sam. "What is all this stuff anyway?"

"Angelica root, Van Van oil, crossroad's dirt...and a few other odds n' ends." Missouri said distractedly, putting small amounts in the soft leather squares Deanna had brought.

"I'll show you how to make them later." Deanna said softly to Dean.

"And what are we supposed to do with it?" Sam asked, poking at a small bottle he'd pulled out Deanna's bag that looked like ashes.

"We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, south, east and west corners of each floor of the house." Deanna said.

"Punching holes in the drywall. Jenny's gonna love that." Dean said, looking pointedly at Deanna.

"She'll live." Missouri countered slyly before going back to trying complicated knots in the leather ties.

"And this'll destroy the spirits?" Sam asked.

"It should." Missouri said.

Deanna sat down next to Dean, and pulled over a piece of leather, tying the knots just as expertly as Missouri. "This should purify the house. But we're gonna have to move fast. Once the spirits realize what we're up to, they're gonna be pissed. Things are going to get...bad."

"But this has worked before?" Sam asked.

Deanna nodded, not even looking up from the small leather ties. "Yeah. Like a charm. A pain in the ass, but the most effective way to deal with poltergeists I've found."

"You've done this before." Dean said. It wasn't a question.

Deanna looked up from the leather pouches then. "Yeah. A few times."

"Deanna has a tendency to get...annoyed when she feels her friends and students are threatened." Missouri offered, a smirk on her face.

Dean looked at her quizzically, and Deanna just shrugged. "I'll tell you the story later. I got Jenny tickets to the movies tonight. We need to move fast and take care of this when they're all out of the house."

Dean let it go for a moment, and a few fifteen minutes later was pulling up outside of Jenny's house, ready to take on the angry spirits, his family flanking him on either side.

**Author's Note: There weren't all that many reviews this time. I hate begging, but I really want to know what you like and what you don't like. So please, leave a review. :) The Winchesters should be having a talk next chapter that will explain everything. Hope you all stick around for the ride. **


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

It was surprisingly easy to convince Jenny to take her kids to the movies, Dean thought. He watched Deanna laugh and smile with them, wrestling with Richie and picking on Sari, who picked back with just as much attitude.

He'd have to ask Deanna later what her relationship was to these people. They obviously trusted her and loved her. And living in their old house...

Dean didn't believe in coincidences.

The four of them watched as Jenny walked her kids down the sidewalk, and out to their car. It was only when they had turned the corner and were out of sight that they all turned back into the living room.

Missouri set down her bag, and started pulling out the small pouches they had made earlier, handing them to Deanna, who passed them out to her brothers. Dean passed out hammers, in order to put small holes in the walls.

"Okay, so we're all agreed on the plan?" Deanna asked, looking from Missouri and then to her brothers. Everyone nodded, and Missouri headed off towards the basement, her point of attack. Deanna gave her brothers a soft smile, and headed off towards the back of the house.

"Hey." Dean called. Deanna turned immediately.

"Be careful." Sam said, looking at her meaningfully.

Deanna tried to smile, and failed slightly. They all knew the past, and what the house was capable of. "Only if you two are." she whispered.

The three Winchesters stared at each other for a moment, and then, as one, turned towards their respective places.

O~O~O

Dean casually walked into the kitchen. He'd fought for it, knowing the kitchen was the most dangerous place to be during a poltergeist attack. There was no way he was letting his little brother or sister anywhere near there.

Walking up to the far wall, he glanced around, making sure nothing was out to get him. He gently moved the blender aside, and held out the hammer, preparing to put a hole in the wall. He froze when a drawer across the room slid open on its own, creaking slightly on the track.

Dean turned to face the drawer, and then ducked as a sharp butcher knife came flying out of it at his head.

"Whoa!" he cried, ducking down again. He reached over and flipped the kitchen table on it's side, just managing to get behind it as four more knives buried themselves in the wood.

Dean let out a string of curse words, hearing things flying around upstairs. The refrigerator opened and food stuffs started flying at him as well, hitting the table and splattering all over the floor.

A loud thump came from just above his head, and Dean stood up quickly.

"Screw this." he muttered to himself, quickly standing up, dodging a plate, and smashing a hole in the wall. He shoved the small bag that Deanna had handed to him into the hole in the wall, and then quickly ran from the kitchen, forks reverberating in the kitchen door as he shut it quickly behind him.

Dean raced for the stairs, Deanna soaking wet and close on his heels, both of them calling for Sam as they went.

There was no answer.

O~O~O

Deanna walked into the downstairs' bathroom, listening for her brothers as she went. She knew why Dean had taken the kitchen, and if the danger junkie wanted the most dangerous place in the house, who was she to argue. He could take care of himself.

Honestly it was Sam she was more worried about. He'd opted for his old room. Deanna had no words for how uncomfortable that made her. She could see the stress in Dean's eyes as well.

It was good to know she wasn't the only one not happy about Sam upstairs, alone.

Dragging her thoughts away from her brothers, and focusing on the task in front of her, Deanna walked over to the wall, just above the toilet, and began tapping gently at the tile with her hammer.

The faucet suddenly started filling the sink with water. She glanced at it, and then frowned.

"You don't scare me. Back off." she growled.

Her only response was the tub starting to fill. Steam began to fill the small space. Deanna ignored it, and continued tapping at the wall, trying to make the hole as small as possible. As she got to the wall behind the tile, a squeaking noise started on her right side. She turned to look.

Get Out!

"You get out. It was my house first." she muttered, more to herself than anything else. Just as she broke through the wall, and shoved the small bag into the wall, she heard a loud thump from upstairs, like the sound of an overgrown little brother hitting the ground hard.

Deanna turned, just in time for the hot water from the sink to rise up and drench her from head to toe.

Managing not to slip on the wet floor, she winced as the hot water made contact with her skin, and raced out of the room. Dean was about three seconds ahead of her, and the two of them ran up the stairs calling for Sam.

O~O~O

Missouri was being extremely careful, monitoring the spirit's and their anger level as she moved silently down the stairs into the basement. She held the hammer comfortably in her left hand, while holding onto the banister with her right.

Things started flying around almost immediately, and Missouri took that as a sign the kids were doing their job.

Walking over to the far wall, she deflected a box that was hurled at her head with a wave of her hand.

"Do not mess with me." she said to the air around her. "I don't scare as easily as the inhabitants of this house do."

A cool wind whipped up around her as she started to dig a hole into the wall with the hammer Dean had given her. Debris started to fly around her.

"You won't get the children. They are strong, finally united together as family. They will destroy you if you attack them."

She shoved the bag into the wall and turned to face the open space.

"This ends now." she growled.

Missouri glared at the open spaces in the basement, listening. All was silent for a brief moment, before she heard Dean and Deanna yelling for Sam.

Missouri raced for the stairs, not liking the note of desperation in their voices as they called out for Sam.

She was stopped however when a large chest of drawers slid across the small space and slammed her up against the wall, holding her still from the waist down.

No matter what, she couldn't move it. All she could hope was for the kids to destroy the spirits. It was the only way she was getting loose and she knew it.

O~O~O

Sam crawled up the stairs and headed for Sari's room. He knew Dean and Deanna didn't like that he was up here alone, after what had happened last time. He completely got it. Really. But as he'd pointed out to them earlier, he hadn't been alone last time and things had still gone to hell.

Deanna had pinched her lips together and frowned at him at that statement. Dean just watched her carefully.

So the plan was to get in and get out as quickly as possible and meet in the living room where both siblings could see him and stop freaking out.

He shook his head, letting a small smile creep up on him. He'd thought Dean was overprotective. Now with Deanna, he'd be unstoppable.

And even though he complained...he knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

Turning the corner into his former nursery, he felt a flair of...something caress his skin. He shuddered and pulled away from it.

"Go away." he muttered to himself. It immediately dissipated, and he sighed in relief.

Sam walked over to the far wall and gently began tapping at the drywall. He felt someone walk up behind him, but assuming it was Dean or Deanna, didn't turn around.

It was then a thin cord wrapped around his neck and pulled backwards. He landed with a hard thump on the ground, and groaned, pulling at the cord.

His vision started to go black, and the last thing he heard, before succumbing to the darkness was the sound of voices calling his name in panic.

O~O~O

Dean had this horrible feeling in his gut as he raced up the stairs. Deanna was running behind him, calling Sam's name, and didn't make him feel better he wasn't the only one freaking out.

He'd kick himself, if he were physically capable of such a move. The house had proved years ago it wanted his brother, and he'd let him go upstairs, alone, to the room that had already attempted to kill him once.

Dean whipped himself around the doorway, and without hesitation raced over to his fallen sibling, breaths wheezing out of him as an electrical cord tightened even more around his neck, bruising the pale skin beneath it.

"Sam!" He called out, feeling Deanna echo him. He reached and tugged at the cord, not liking how his brother just lay there, not moving. He knew he and Deanna were scratching his throat, but he didn't care.

Nothing seemed to be working, and he watched as Deanna stood up and raced over to the far wall, using her boots to kick a hole in the wall. She had just made it through the plaster when she was lifted off the ground and thrown through the window by an invisible force. Her startled scream carried through the night air, before cutting off completely.

Dean stared at the empty space in frozen silence for a few seconds, feeling the deja'vu' of losing his sister all over again, before Sam's body jerked weakly underneath him, and drew Dean's attention to the body underneath him. He laid his brother down quickly and picked up the bag that Sam must've dropped and shoved it into the wall, forcing thoughts of Deanna out of his mind, painfully, and only focusing on the sibling he knew for certain he could save.

A blast of blue-white light flowed over the house, but Dean was too busy untangling the cord from around Sam's neck to care.

Sam pulled in panicked, ragged breaths almost immediately, weakly scrabbling at his brother's jacket, searching for a handhold. Dean pulled him in for a fierce hug, reveling in the soft breaths and quick heartbeat.

They sat there for a few minutes before Sam started to push himself up from the ground.

"Whoa. Hang on a sec, Tiger." Dean said, trying to push him back down.

Sam shook his head, which Dean knew was bound to be painful after almost suffocating to death, and breathed out a raspy, "No."

"No?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow, and managing to hold them to the ground, but finding it harder to resist his struggling brother. "You almost died, Sam. Take a second."

"W'ere's...'Anna?" he forced out, still struggling against Dean.

Dean didn't answer, and at his silence, Sam stopped moving and locked bloodshot eyes on his brother. "De'n?"

Dean opened his mouth, to tell Sam he didn't know what had happened to Deanna, but that he'd watched her go through a window, again, when a pained voice came behind him.

"Sammy, listen to Dean. Lay there and practice breathing for a minute, huh?"

Dean whipped his head around to watch Deanna limp through the door, bleeding, scratched up, but otherwise okay. She grimaced as she sat down on the floor next to her brothers, and carded gentle fingers through Sam's hair.

Dean kept an arm around Sam, keeping Sam's chest against his knees, and watched Deanna's scraped up fingers delicately move through his hair. He had memories of his mom doing that to them as well.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, gently scanning his eyes over her.

"I'm good. You?" her green eyes looked bright in the dim lighting.

"You sure? 'Cause you just went through a window."

Deanna rolled her eyes. "Let's worry about Sam first."

At that, Sam started to push himself up from the ground again. "'M 'kay." he whispered.

"Sure you are." Dean and Deanna said in unison.

Together the three of them managed to get Sam vertical, and they hobbled down the stairs, meeting Missouri in the kitchen. The four of them were still sitting there when Jenny and her kids came home.

**__**

Author's Note: For some reason Fanfiction wouldn't let me update this Friday morning, and I had a fun-filled 12-hour work day on Saturday. So I apologize for the delay. :)

Anyway, the next chapter is also up. I wrote them both together, but it was really long, and just seemed really rambly, so I'm splitting them up into two chapters. And then hopefully we should be back on track with Friday updates.

Thanks for all your patience!


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

After cleaning up the kitchen, bathroom and as much of Sari's room as they could, the three Winchesters found themselves back at Missouri's house. Missouri had just looked at the three of them, mentioned she was going to bed and to clean up their mess when they were done, and had taken off up the stairs to her bedroom.

Dean whirled on Deanna then. "Take your jacket off." he said gently, but in a tone that offered no room for argument.

Deanna eyed him carefully for a minute, before sliding forward on the chair with a groan. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?" she asked.

"Nope." Sam said, sitting down next to her with a glass of water. "It's best to just do what he says when he gets that tone of voice."

Deanna smirked wearily at him, and then gingerly reached over for the backpack leaning against the doorway, pulling out clothes and heading for the back bedroom. Dean noticed she was still limping, and made a mental note to take a look at her leg when she came back. He plopped down into the chair Deanna had just vacated, and ran a hand over his face.

A gentle nudge against his shoulder turned his attention to Sam.

"You okay, man?" Sam asked quietly.

Dean shook his head. They didn't talk about these kinds of things. They didn't do chick-flick moments. And here he was, the Almighty Dean Winchester, feeling like he was going to break down. In between seeing the old house, watching Sam turn blue, and seeing his sister go through a window for the second time, the walls that usually kept all of his memories and emotions from others seeing were crumbling around his ears.

He took a deep breath. "I'm good." he said, pointedly not looking at the thin scratches and purple rings around Sam's neck.

"Do you actually believe that?"

Dean looked over at Sam, feeling a small smile creep up on him. "I will if you will." he said.

Sam rolled his eyes and sagged back against the chair, muttering something that made Dean smile for real. If Sam could still snark at him like that, then he was probably going to be fine.

A few minutes later Deanna limped back in, a box of first aid supplies and a sweatshirt in her hand. She was wearing soft, black cotton shorts, and a light pink tank top. Dean nodded approvingly. The less amount of clothes he had to fight with, the better. He took the first aid kit from her and set her down in the chair.

After pulling glass from her arms and legs, and wrapping her ankle, which she'd only sprained, thank God, Dean moved up to start combing through her hair.

"You're lucky." he said, feeling the protective streak he only felt for Sam flair up when she leaned into his touch. "I think your jacket and jeans pretty much kept the glass from getting to anything important."

Deanna nodded slightly, eyes closed and breathing calm while Dean continued his examination. He lifted her hair up, and noticed a small tattoo on the back of her neck. He touched it gently, running his fingers over the crescent moon and the two stars.

"You didn't tell me about this." Dean whispered.

Deanna didn't even open her eyes. "Contrary to what you might think, I don't tell you everything." she said, a small smile gracing her lips. "I know you don't tell me everything."

"Course I don't tell you anything. I didn't think you were real until about twelve hours ago. Sue me." Dean said, still looking at the tattoo. "Why a moon?"

Deanna shrugged. "I went in with a friend to get her nose pierced, and it was a drawing that one of the artists had done. He said he hadn't done it for any reason, other than the night before he'd felt like he'd almost been compelled to draw it. And he did. I was just kind of drawn to it. I don't know why."

Dean let her hair fall back over her neck, covering the moon. "Dad used to call you his Moon Girl." he said so quietly that if Sam and Deanna hadn't been paying attention they probably wouldn't have heard him. "He called you his Moon Girl, and Sam and me his Shining Stars."

"I don't remember that." Deanna said.

"It was a long time ago. I can't even remember why at this point." Dean said, pulling away from her. He started packing up items into the first aid kit, blatantly ignoring both of his siblings.

Deanna was the first one to speak and break the silence. "Do you want to know what my earliest memory is?" she asked, speaking to no one in particular. When no one answered, she continued. "I remember waking up in a hospital. My body hurt, and everything was cold. There was a strange lady asleep by my bed, and I knew, even then, that even though I wasn't sure of anything, I was certain that she wasn't my mom."

Dean sat down in a chair and pulled it around so he could straddle it and look at her face. Sam was watching her intently. Deanna carried on, staring at the floor.

"I started freaking out, and I woke her up. She tried to calm me down, but I have this very clear memory of thinking she was doing it all wrong. The song she was singing was wrong; the way she smelled was wrong...I didn't know why, and I couldn't-can't- remember what would be right, but I knew she was wrong. I knew there should be mommy and daddy and brothers. And that the nice people who came in to talk to me were _not _them. Later all I understood was that mommy was dead, and that daddy and brothers were gone. That they'd left without me. I remember I cried. I didn't understand why they were gone. I was fairly sure they wouldn't have left without me."

Dean took a deep breath after she'd finished speaking. "You don't remember anything before that?" Sam didn't remember their mother, he was only six months old when she was killed, but at least he had memories of their father. Dean could remember the times before hunting, however vague they were. But to have no memories of anything...to have your earliest memories be fear, pain and confusion...

That almost seemed worse.

Deanna shook her head. "No. I have this vague sense that there should be memories there. And they have names. Mom, Dad, Brothers. But aside from you...and now Sam, they're just...blobby shapes in my memory. I know they should be there, but they're not."

Knowing that Sam was listening, and finding that he didn't care, Dean ran a hand over his face and then took the plunge. "That night, I remember waking up to mom screaming. I can remember running from my room and down the hall. Dad was standing there, and there were flames coming out the door. He had Sam in his arms, and I can remember this very clearly. He told me 'Take your brother outside as fast as you can. Now, Dean. Go!' And I went. I ran out the door and into the front yard. Dad had gone back inside, to get you and mom I thought."

Deanna had raised her eyes and was staring at her twin. Dean continued, ignoring the sympathetic looks from his siblings. It was then he realized he was the only one who actually knew what had happened that night. "I watched Sam's bedroom window explode. I heard you scream. And then you stopped. Dad came running out of the house and picked Sam and me up, and raced away from the house. The rest of his room exploded then. I was...I don't have the word for it. But when Dad told me that you and Mom were gone, that it was just us from then on, I shut down. I don't think I talked to anyone, not even Sam, for about two months. And that's when the dreams started."

"I remember those." Deanna said, smiling. "I remember the people who'd taken me in, the Warren's, were throwing me a birthday party. I have clear memory of them asking who I wanted to invite, and telling them Dean and Sammy. I'd pretty much given up on Mom and Dad by then, but I knew you guys wouldn't have left me willingly. I just wanted you boys back. I wanted you guys more than anything. And that was the first night I dreamed of you."

"I knew you weren't real." Dean admitted. "Dad had told me over and over that you and mom weren't coming back. And over time, it just got to be something that I accepted as part of my crazy life. The more things I saw and did, the less strange it seemed. I never even questioned it."

Deanna nodded. "Honestly, I didn't think you were real either. Until we were fifteen. Do you remember when you got clawed open by a wampus?"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Annie...I don't even remember the wampus."

Deanna smiled. "I do remember you used to call me that." Dean's ears turned red. "But I remember the wampus. I had a dream that you had gotten hurt. Clawed up so bad. I saw you in the hospital...in my dream."

"I remember." Sam finally spoke, voice raspy. "It was the first time you'd had to have surgery. The first time Dad wasn't able to patch you up himself."

Deanna nodded. "I saw a logo for a Michigan hospital in the dream. I called the hospital. They told me they had admitted a Dean Winchester, fifteen, after being clawed up by an animal attack." Dean's eyes widened. "After that, every time you told me where you were or what you were hunting, I'd look into it. And every time I found evidence of you and Sammy and Dad."

Deanna reached over and dug through her backpack, looking for something.

"Are you saying you've been tracking us since you..._we_...were fifteen?"

Deanna raised an eyebrow, mimicking her older brother. "Yeah. I was always a few steps behind you. I've never been able to catch up to you guys. Until now." She tossed a worn, leather book at Dean, similar to their father's journal, and sat back down.

Sam leaned over as Dean flipped through it in awe. She had everything. Documentation of hunts she wasn't even around for. To most people it would look like random dates, random places, and random articles about missing people or animal mauling. Dean and Sam could see otherwise.

"You got my transcripts?" Sam asked, looking up at Deanna.

"Not all of them." Deanna admitted. "Some of the schools had privacy policies...but most of them would fax them to me, no questions asked."

Dean glanced over the pages, seeing Deanna's delicate handwriting swirl along the pages. He was amazed at the amount of work that had gone into it.

"Just because you guys were positive that I was dead, doesn't mean I wasn't interested, and didn't want to know what was going on." She whispered. "I was trying to find you."

"What did the Warren's think about this?" Sam asked. Dean seemed to have forgotten how to speak.

"Valerie and Daniel were always honest with me. I knew they weren't my parents, and they made sure I knew that. They had only met Mom and Dad once, but they remembered the 'adorable twins' and the 'precious baby'. Apparently, and this is only what I know from Warren's, when I got thrown through the window, I landed in their yard. They didn't find me until the next morning, and had no clue who I was until I woke and up started screaming for my brothers. By then, you guys had already left. They totally encouraged me to find you guys."

Dean glanced over at her. "I want to know, how'd you meet Jenny and the kids?"

"Sari is in my tap class. I offered to take her home one day when Jenny just moved here, and just about had a stroke when I saw the house." She shrugged. "I'd been keeping tabs on it anyway, but I hadn't known they'd moved in. Scared me half to death."

Dean nodded. "Seems like one hell of a coincidence."

"It does, doesn't it?" Deanna agreed. "That was what I thought."

Dean nodded, and the three kids were silent once more. Finally, Dean looked up at her again. "How'd you know we were here? When you showed up on the doorstep next to me, you weren't surprised to see me."

Deanna smiled. "I met Missouri when I was ten. We were in the grocery store, and this woman walks right up to me and says, 'Oh, hi. Good to see you alive and not dead. How're you doing, Deanna. Does your twin know you're alive?' I was pretty freaked out. Eventually she explained what was going on, and I've been friends with her since."

"Nice. That sounds like Missouri." Dead muttered, knowing she could probably hear him.

Deanna smirked. "Anyway, when you two showed up here, she called me. And I think you guys know the rest of the story."

Dean shook his head, a smile on his face. It'd been a long time since he'd felt as comfortable as he did with Deanna, with anyone but Sam in a long time. As she got up to make some coffee, and replaced the ice in Sam's water, Dean continued to look through her journal.

In the back was a familiar obituary stapled to a few newspaper articles and a police report. "You know about St. Louis?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Deanna said, turning around and frowning at him. "I have to say, you scared the hell out of me. Valerie Warren's niece, _Rebecca _Warren, calls me up and tells me about her brother, and how he's been framed for murder. And while I'm flipping out about it, she says, 'Oh, don't worry. My friend Sam from Stanford and his brother Dean helped out.' So I looked into it and had her send me the information she had, and low and behold, I suddenly find an obituary for a serial killer, with a picture and everything, named Dean Winchester. Had Becca called me two days earlier, I probably would have shown up in St. Louis myself."

"You know I didn't kill those people, right?" Dean asked, looking at her.

"Yeah, Becca set me straight. But don't you _ever_ do that again." She pointed a finger at him and gave him her most serious look.

Sam had been sitting quietly the whole time, staring off into space. Deanna finally turned her attention back to him, frowning slightly when she had he hadn't moved since she'd replaced his water.

"Sammy?" she asked cautiously. Dean immediately followed her gaze.

"Dude. You okay?" Dean asked, touching Sam's arm. Sam jerked as if he'd been burned, sloshing water every where.

"Huh?" he asked.

Deanna shared a concerned glance with Dean. "Dude, you've been staring at the wall for the last ten minutes. Are you sure you're okay?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I...I just have a bad feeling is all."

"Bad feeling about what?" Dean asked.

"I...I don't know." Sam thought for a moment. "We need to go back to the house."

"Why?" Deanna asked. "Missouri said the house was clean. Mission accomplished."

Sam turned pleading eyes to Dean, knowing his older brother wouldn't say no to him, would move the planets in fact if it was in his ability to do so.

Dean sighed, knowing when he was beat. "Stake out it is." He sighed. "But dude, if this turns out to be nothing, you're riding in the trunk to the next job."

Sam smiled softly, and then turned to Deanna. He wanted her approval as well. She just shrugged her shoulders, and reached over, slipping on the sweatshirt she'd brought out earlier. "Just let me get my shoes."

Sam gingerly stood up, seeing Dean watching him out of the corner of his eye. He had no idea what they were about to walk into, had no idea if the pulling sensation he felt towards the house was something malevolent, trying to draw him out to his death or attack his family...

But seeing Deanna walk in, looking every part of a strong Winchester in her boots, shorts and hoodie, loading up coffee for them, and seeing Dean arm himself with his favorite glock and a knife strapped to his boot, Sam couldn't help but think that while they stood between him and the world, nothing could hurt him.

**Author's Note: Okay, so we should be back on track. Thanks guys for being so patient with me. :)**


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five:

Dean glanced at the rearview mirror, and grinned at the sleeping sight that greeted him.

Deanna had fallen asleep in the backseat a few hours before, and Dean had tossed his leather jacket over her. She'd managed to burrow into the leather seat, and cocoon herself in the jacket. Her hair fell over her eyes, and the tiny puffs of air she let out of parted lips slightly blew her hair back and forth.

Turning away from Deanna, Dean turned his attention to his little brother sitting quietly next to him, staring at the house. Quite frankly, the silence made him nervous.

"All right, so tell me again. What are we still doing here?" Dean whispered, nudging Sam to try and get a response out of him.

Sam didn't even glance in his direction. "I don't know." He said uncertainly. "I just...I still have a bad feeling."

Dean glanced at the house for a moment, noting the calm silence that seemed to surround the property. "Why? Missouri did her whole 'Zelda Rubenstein' thing. The house should be clean. It should be over."

Sam squashed the urge to mention that he didn't think it would ever be over, and instead just muttered, "Yeah, well, probably. But I just want to make sure. That's all."

Dean rolled his eyes and leaned back in the front seat. "Yeah, well, problem is, I could be sleeping in a bed right now."

Sam shook his head fondly at his older brother, seeing his eyes closed and knowing he couldn't see him, and then turned his attention back to the house.

It was then that he saw Jenny, banging on the window, screaming in terror.

Sam smacked Dean on the shoulder, and called his name at the same time he opened the door and ran for the house. It didn't surprise him that Dean was right on his heels, Deanna close behind both.

Dean was shouting orders as they raced up the drive and up the porch steps. "Sam, get Sari, Annie, grab Ritchie! I'm going for Jenny!"

Neither sibling argued, and as Dean kicked in the door, ran up the stairs, dodging flying objects along the way to their respective targets.

Dean slid to a stop in front of Jenny's door and tried turning the knob, vaguely noticing the others run past him.

"Jenny!" He called out.

"I can't open the door!" Jenny yelled back. Dean could hear the fear in her voice.

"Stand back!" Dean yelled back over the roar of the spirits flying around them. He counted to three, and took a step back, pausing for a moment to let Deanna run by, Ritchie clinging pale faced and wide eyed to her shoulders. As soon as she was clear, Dean expertly kicked in the door, moving forward to prevent it from slamming shut again. Jenny immediately ran into his arms and Dean started tugging her towards the stairs.

When Jenny realized they weren't heading towards Sari and Ritchie, she pulled back. "No! My kids!" she screamed at him, turning and attempting to break his grip and run for her children.

Dean knew the feeling, barely able to resist going after Sam himself, but held on to Jenny. "Deanna already had Ritchie and Sam's getting Sari!" He tugged on her again, and this time she went willingly, running down the stairs and the hallway to the open door. Jenny ran ahead of him when she saw Deanna, crouched on the sidewalk holding Ritchie, both leaning against the Impala.

Dean waited a whole ten seconds, five of that he spent scanning over Deanna and making sure she was okay, before he turned back to the house. Moments later, Sari ran out.

Alone.

Deanna beat him to Sari. "Sar." she asked, gripping the frightened young girl's shoulders. "Where's Sam?"

Sari had tears in her eyes, and latched onto Deanna. "He's inside. Something's got him."

Deanna flashed a panicked look in Dean's direction, and they both looked towards the house.

The front door slammed shut, effectively blocking the twins from their little brother.

O~O~O

Sam raced past Deanna and Dean, and into Sari's room. Sari was sitting on her bed, scared stiff, looking at a humanoid shaped figure standing at the foot of her bed.

The figure was on fire.

Sam warily kept one eye the flaming creature, and then reached out for Sari. "Sari! Look at me!"

Sari quickly glanced at Sam, and Sam reached just far enough to grab her arm and pull her to him. "Don't look," he whispered in her ear. He watched the spirit intently, and when it made no move to attack them, turned and ran from the room.

Sam ran down the stairs, holding tightly to the young girl in his arms, and ran for the hallway. At the bottom of the stairs however, the same presence that had ran itself down his arms during the banishing, swirled around him again. Making his decision, he put Sari on her feet and pushed her towards the door.

"Sari! Get outside as fast as you can!" he yelled at her. No sooner had the words left his mouth, than his feet were pulled from underneath him and he was dragged down the hallway.

Sam heard Sari scream and watched as she ran out the front door. Just as he was pulled around the corner, he heard the front door slam shut.

Sam was tossed around the house, bouncing against walls, and running into furniture. Over the sound of the spirits' fury, Sam could hear something knocking against the front door of the house, and he felt a brief moment of relief, knowing Dean, and probably Deanna were on their way.

After what seemed like hours of being smacked around and at the spirits' mercy, Sam was thrust up against a wall and pinned. He couldn't move, and was even having problems breathing.

The figure on fire suddenly appeared in front of him.

Sam snarled at it, hoping Dean would hurry up. When it didn't move, Sam stared it down.

And then realized who was underneath the fire.

Sam stared at her in shock, and was only dimly aware of Dean and Deanna calling his name.

Dean raced around one corner of the living room, and Deanna slid around the other side. Dean planted himself in front of Sam, using his own body as a human shield and lifted his shotgun, aiming to fire against the spirit.

"No! Don't!" Sam called out in panic.

"What?" Dean asked, sparing one glance at Sam over his shoulder, before turning his attention back to the spirit. Even though he kept his weapon up, he didn't fire. "Why?"

"Because I know who it is." Sam whispered breathlessly. "I can see her now."

Dean squinted at the fiery figure, and bit by bit the flames began to dissipate, leaving only a blonde woman in a white nightgown.

Deanna's gasp of surprise was the only sound in the whole room.

Dean stared at Mary Winchester's spirit in shock, slowly lowering his shotgun. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at the woman he thought he'd never see again. "Mom?" he whispered.

Mary smiled at him, softly and loving, and took one step towards him.

"Dean." Mary said, blue eyes shining in the dim light. "My beautiful boy."

Dean couldn't have even come up with words if someone had held a gun to Sam or Deanna and ordered him to speak. Mary smiled at him for a moment more and then turned her attention to Sam.

"Little Sammy." she said softly.

Sam's eyes started to overflow with tears, just as his brother and sister's were. He'd never, in his wildest dreams, believed that he would be standing face to face with his mother. Not ever. "Hi, Mom." he whispered.

Mary's smile faded slightly, and her eyes grew sad. She took a step towards him, and tilted her head to the side. "Sam. I'm so sorry."

Sam frowned. "For what?"

Mary just continued to look at him sadly, and then finally turned her attention to Deanna.

"Deanna. My darling."

"Hey, Mom." Deanna said with a smile.

Mary gestured towards the boys. "Promise you'll look out for them. They're going to need you in the days ahead. Promise you'll be there for them."

Deanna nodded. "I promise."

Mary stepped back and looked at each one of her children. "I am so proud of all of you." she said to them before looking up at the ceiling.

"You get out of my house." she growled to the air above her, presumably to the poltergeist. "And let go of my son."

Mary burst into flames once more, and this time the flames reached the ceiling. They spread out across the rough surface, and then disappeared completely. The invisible force holding Sam to the wall released him, and he fell slightly, panting for breath.

"Now it's over." he said, leaning his head against the wall.

The three siblings just stared at each other, still in shock over everything they'd just witnessed.

O~O~O

Early morning found the Winchesters ready to leave their former house. Sam was leaning against the Impala while Deanna talked to a young man in work boots and jeans.

Dean was choosing to ignore him currently. It was just another reminder of her normal life.

A normal life he was taking her away from.

She'd told him the night before, that when they left town she was coming with them. And against his better judgment, Dean had agreed.

Jenny walking up next to him jerked him away from feeling guilty about Deanna. She held out a small box to Dean. "I think these belong to you." she said kindly.

Dean opened the lid, and pulled out a few pictures. One made his heart clench in his chest. Trapped in time, Mary, John, Dean and Deanna smiled back at the camera. Mary held Sam close to her chest.

He shut the lid. "Thanks, Jenny."

"Don't thank me." she said, eyes twinkling at him. "They're yours."

Dean nodded, and Jenny turned and walked back in the house, past the broken down door. And yeah, okay, Dean kinda did feel bad about that.

While Dean had been talking to Jenny, Missouri had made her way down the steps and was talking to Sam and Deanna. Dean noticed that her friend had disappeared somewhere.

"Well, there are no spirits in there anymore. This time for sure." she said gently, looking at Sam.

"Not even my mom?" Sam asked. With his tone of voice, Dean heard the small child he used to be.

"No." Missouri said.

Sam looked down at his feet, and Deanna spoke up. "What happened, Missouri?"

"You're mom's spirit and the poltergeist's energy canceled each other out. You're mom destroyed herself goin' after the thing." Missouri said kindly, looking between the siblings.

"Why would she do that?" Dean asked.

"To protect her children, of course." Missouri said, like it was the easiest answer in the world. She looked pointedly at each of them. "She got to see the powerful hunters her children have become, standing together in love, shoulder to shoulder with each other. I don't know any mother who wouldn't be proud of how you two turned out."

Deanna shared a look with Dean, smiling slightly. Dean gave her a soft smile back. Everyone was silent, until Missouri spoke again.

"Sam. I'm sorry."

Sam's head whipped up so fast, Dean was concerned about whiplash. "About what?" he asked quietly, not able to forget his mother had just apologized to him as well."

"You sensed it was here, didn't you? Even when I couldn't."

Sam nodded, gaze skittering around the ground. "What's happening to me?" he asked softly.

Missouri shook her head. "I'm sorry. I know I should have all the answers, but I don't." She then directed her gaze at Deanna. "You better get these two off their feet before they pass out on you. The three of you have had a long night. You all need rest."

Deanna nodded, and then reached up to hug the old psychic. "Thanks Missouri."

Missouri smiled. "Don't you kids be strangers."

"We won't." Dean assured her, giving her a smile.

Missouri watched as Deanna ushered her boys into the Impala, and then directed them down the street before turning to her own car and going home.

O~O~O

Deanna directed them to a small two story house the next street over, and into the driveway. She unlocked the door, and the three of them slipped upstairs. Deanna tossed her backpack into one room, and Dean caught a flash of purple from the walls before directing each boy to a room.

The three of them were asleep seconds later.

Sam woke up sometime later, sure that someone was watching him. When a cursory check of the room revealed nothing, he padded down the hall to Dean's room. A note was taped to the door:

_Hey,_

_You guys were still asleep, and I had classes to teach. I'm off at seven, and will be home then. _

_The fridge is full, we've got cable, and you're safe. _

_I can't answer my phone while working, but if you want you can stop by. 910 Merchant St. Just tell the people at the front desk you're with me. _

_See you soon. _

_Love, Deanna. _

Sam smiled at the delicate handwriting, and then quietly pushed the door open. Dean was just zipping up his duffel bag.

"Ready to go?" Dean asked, barely glancing at Sam.

"Where're we going?"

"To get Deanna. Then we're hitting the road. I hate this town."

Sam nodded, grabbed his own duffel bag and then followed his brother out to the car, carefully locking the door behind him.

It didn't take long for the boys to find the dance studio Deanna worked at, and the people at the front desk directed them immediately to the studio she was teaching in. Two rows of teenage ballerinas carefully followed Deanna as she moved them through basic stretches. She was facing the mirror, and when she caught Sam and Dean watching her, smiled brilliantly at them.

Dean watched her move gracefully, her soft, pink slippered feet seeming to glide across the dance floor. She had a special smile just for her students, showing Dean how much they meant to her.

Her students were her whole world. A blind man could see that.

Dean blinked back tears. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take her from her life. As much as he wanted her with him and Sammy, continuing the family business, it was obvious she wasn't a hunter.

She was a dancer, friend, teacher, and as he watched a tiny girl in Pointe shoes show her how to do some kind of trick with her leg, a student as well.

She wasn't his sister anymore. Life had made sure of that.

She didn't belong to him, and wasn't his to claim.

Dean sighed, and nudged Sam out in front of him. He caught Deanna's eye in the mirror one last time, and by the look on her face, she _knew._

Sam followed his brother out to the car, and watched him crumble to pieces as he tried to do the right thing.

"Shouldn't she have the choice, Dean?" Sam asked quietly, getting into the passenger seat.

"She'll choose the wrong one, Sam. No one chooses this life."

"Maybe she will." Sam said patiently.

"No one _deserves _this life." Dean said, looking at his little brother full on.

"But doesn't she _deserve _the choice?"

Dean stared at Sam for one more moment, before putting the car in gear and pointing the Impala towards the interstate.

"I won't do that to her, Sam. I already ruined one sibling's life. I'm not going to do it to her."

Sam rolled his eyes. He knew Dean was impossible to talk to when he thought he was doing the right thing to keep his family safe. He stayed silent as Dean hit the freeway, and angled them far away from Kansas.

O~O~O

Deanna finished her classes, and then stepped outside into the cool night air.

She wasn't surprised to see the Impala wasn't in the parking lot, and when she pulled her bike into the garage, wasn't surprised to see the Impala wasn't on the street, and the boys weren't in the house.

Deanna was glad, that in the dark, no one would be able to see her tears.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the delay in updating. It's been a rough week, and if you didn't read the note at the beginning of my one-shot, 'I Believe' then we'll just say I have a whole new respect for windows and two story buildings. Anyway, I'm working on the next chapter right now, and should have it up in the next few days. **

**Thanks again for your patience. :) **


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six:

Missouri walked into her house, and set her purse down on a side table. Taking off her jacket she started speaking.

"That boy." She said quietly. "He has such powerful abilities."

She turned a corner, and stood in the doorway of her living room, looking at the man sitting on her couch, head in his hands. "But why he couldn't sense his own father, I have no idea."

John looked up at her, eyes red and swollen. He swallowed hard and then started compulsively turning his wedding ring around his finger. "Mary's spirit...do you really think she saved the kids?" He hated how rough his voice sounded.

"I do." Missouri said gently. When John didn't answer, but just continued to play with his wedding ring, Missouri sighed. "John Winchester I could just slap you! Why won't you just go talk to your children?"

John breathed in a watery sigh, and turned to face her. Misouri was almost floored by the pain in his eyes. "I want to. You have no idea how much I wanna see 'em. Deanna especially. God, she looks like her mother." John took a deep breath. "But I can't. Not yet. Not until I know the truth."

Missouri and John just stared at each other, letting the world move on around them in the silence.

O~O~O

Dean pulled up outside the motel that was serving as their home of the week with a sigh. He was cold and tired, and he knew Sam was too. Tracking a rawhead through the woods was not their idea of a good time.

Dean glanced over at Sam. He'd been quiet since that morning. Something was up. He just wasn't sure what.

"You want first shower?" Dean asked, crawling out of the car at a snail's pace. Sam crawled out just the same.

Sam rolled his shoulders. "Naw. Why don't I get food, and you take a shower, and then I'll grab one when I get back."

Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. "Sammy. What's going on?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Nothing. I'm just want food more than a shower at this point."

Dean knew his brother. He knew Sam was lying about something. Dean stared him down for a moment longer, before holding out his keys. "You get one scratch on my baby..."

"And I'm toast. I know. Sometimes I think your priorities are a little skewed." Sam said with a grin, taking the keys.

Dean was still suspicious, but at the moment, was too tired and to think past it. After watching Sam leave the parking lot, he turned and unlocked the room door, flipped on the light, and almost shot the person sitting on his bed before he realized who it was.

"Damn it, Deanna!" He yelled, slamming the door shut, trying to get his heart to stop beating a million times a second. "The Hell are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you." She said, voice even and calm. Even so, Dean could see the anger boiling just under her eyes.

The light bulb went on for Dean then. Wary annoyance replaced the adrenaline. "You and Sam set this up."

"And you walked right into it." She said. There was no smile, no eye brow quirk. Just a pissed off little sister sitting on his bed. "Sit down, Dean."

"I think I'll stand." Dean countered.

"Sit. Down." she said, voice full of Winchester fire as she stood up, drawing herself up to her full height. Even though Dean still towered over her, he had to admit, she had presence.

"No." he said, staring her down.

Before Dean even had time to blink, he was staring at the carpet, a hundred pounds of twin sitting on his leg, his arm twisted painfully behind his back. He struggled, and she twisted even more.

"You can either sit in the chair, and you can tell me what the hell you think you're doing, or you can tell me like this. Your choice, big brother." Still no emotion other than the carefully masked anger, hidden only where Dean would know to look for it.

Dean fought for a moment, before expertly flipping her off his back and pinning her to the ground. She got her foot up between them and shoved him of, rolled backwards, and was up standing, facing off with him at the same time he did.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked.

"My imaginary older brother." she said, still glaring at him.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You're pissed."

"Ya think?" she asked, putting one hand on her hip. "I thought we agreed we were doing this together. That when you two left, I was going wtih you."

Dean dropped his fighting stance. "I couldn't do that to you, Deanna. I couldn't take you from your life."

"Don't you think that should have been my decision to make?"

Dean stared at her. "No. I don't. You think you want to be a hunter because of Sam and me. I can't let you give up a life you obviously love, for us."

"You mean for you." Deanna said. "You think you're the only one allowed to sacrifice for your family. But you're wrong."

"I sacrifice for this family so that you and Sam don't have to." Dean countered.

"Which leads us back to choice. Coming with you guys is _my _choice. Leaving Lawrence is _my _choice."

"Well it's the wrong one!" Dean yelled.

"Tell me why." Deanna said calmly. "Convince me to go back."

Dean plopped down in the chair with a sigh. "It's your home, Annie. You have a house, a family, and friends. You have a job that you adore, and students that you love. I can't take that away from you. I already destroyed Sam's chance at normal. I'm _not_ going to do that to you." Dean looked her square in the eye. "Sammy and I...the Impala is our home. Skivy motel rooms count as a roof over our heads. Take-out is the closest thing we get to home cooking. Our friends are hunting buddies. People who come in to watch our backs and then take off again. People we only see when one of us needs something from the other. Our job can kill us...or worse. I wake up every morning, and wonder if this is the last time I see Sam or Dad again. Do you really want that? Last week, I was almost sacrificed to a pagan god. The week before that, Sam shot me full of rock salt because he was possessed by the spirit of an insane psychotherapist. Had he killed me, he would have killed himself too, and you would have been an only child. Is that the kind of life you want? Really?"

Deanna stared back at Dean. "I never felt like Lawrence was home. Never. It never seemed right. The closest I've felt to home was when I was sitting in the back of that stupid car. I have a house, yeah, but it's just me. Val and Danny were killed three years ago. The brakes went out on their car and they drove off a bridge."

Dean flinched, but didn't say anything, so Deanna just continued. "I have friends, but they're all kids. And if they aren't kids, then they're the parents of the kids. And you're right. I do adore my job. And I love my students. But I want you think about this carefully: Do you really think I love my job more than I love my brothers?"

Dean raised his eyes to look at her. "You're not a hunter, Annie. You're a dancer."

"Dad wasn't a hunter. He was a mechanic." she pointed out. "Sam's not a hunter. He's a lawyer. Seems like the only hunter here is you."

Dean hung his head, and then started when delicate, manicured hands rested on his knees. "You can't push me away, Dean. You can't push Sam away. If you do, you're going to be left, standing alone against the forces of evil. You're right, we weren't born for this, and no one choses this life...but maybe this life chooses us."

Dean raised his gaze to look at her, and saw love and acceptance shining back at him in those bright green eyes. "What if I don't want it to choose you?" He asked.

Deanna cocked an eyebrow. "What _do_ you want, Dean?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. Wanting and wishing never does anyone any good." He said cynically, standing up and pushing her away. "It's pointless and sad to think about."

Deanna was silent, and Dean turned around to look at her. She looked sad. "That's exactly what I'm talking about, Dean."

"What?"

"Dean, you've done more good for the world in twenty years than anyone I've ever heard of. You sacrifice your happiness and your future every day, because you think you're doing the right thing. I don't know of anyone who is that selfless." She took a step towards him. "But eventually, you're going to push away everyone who cares about you, and all that's going to be left of my devil-may-care, fun, protective, and amazing big brother is going to be a cynical and tired old man."

Dean huffed at her, and turned his back, looking out the window. "Selfless. Right."

"Huh?" Deanna asked behind him.

"Do you know what I want, Deanna?" He whirled on her. "I want my mom back. I want to know my Dad is safe. I want to watch my brother graduate from law school. I want to be able to get to know my sister, and be there for her. But this fight...this _life_ is never going to let me have that. So, knowing that, yeah, I want you to come with us. I want you to be able to get to know Sammy. I want to hang out with my twin, because I feel like a piece of me that has been missing is finally there every time you're near. The last three weeks without you have been Hell, and I wanted to turn around every minute and drive back to Kansas to get you. I wanted you with us so bad. And that is how I know I'm selfish. I'm not the hero you seem to think I am."

Deanna stood there quietly through his outburst, and then stepped forward. "Seems to me there is a six foot sasquatch that rides around with you, who wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Numerous times. Theres a little girl in Maine, that would have been trapped in a cellar forever, had you not known where to look. A guy that would have been in jail for the rest of his life had you not killed the thing that was using his face to kill people. A small family in Colorado that would have been a man short had to you not killed the cannibalistic creature that wanted to eat him." She met his gaze head on. "But no, you're right. You're not a hero at all."

"You're mocking me." Dean complained.

"You need it." she replied, smiling at him. Letting her smile slip, she started again, completely serious. "You didn't destroy Sam's life. You asked for his help, gave him the choice, and he chose to go with you. Neither one of you could have known what would happen. And you're not going to destroy my life. I said I was coming with you. I'm a big girl. You're not responsible for my actions. My choices are just that: My choice. I own them, not you. You can't take it upon yourself to make everyone happy...to keep everyone safe. Sometimes, its okay to do what you want...to make yourself happy once in a while."

Dean looked at her for a moment. Finally he let a small smile cross his face. "You are insanely stubborn. You know that?"

She grinned back. "Hmm...wonder where I got it from."

Dean rolled his eyes before looking at her seriously. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Positive. My decision. My choice."

Dean opened his mouth and the motel room door opened. Sam looked from Deanna to Dean, and then back at Deanna. "Well...nothing's broken and nobody's bleeding. I'll take that as a good sign."

Deanna grinned and reached over to take the bags of food from Sam's hands. Dean watched the two of them banter back and forth, and when Deanna caught him watching and gave him a smile, Dean had to smile back. Having his family together, was all he'd ever wanted, and it made something inside him that had clenched tight, slowly release.

Maybe, just maybe, everything would work out.

He took a container from Sam, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Deanna picked up her own fork and started eating, looking between her brothers as she went.

"So, catch up the newbie. What the Hell is a rawhead?"

**Author's Note: This might be my favorite chapter yet. :) Let me know what you guys think. **


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:

Deanna pulled out her cell phone, and leaned against her bike, running fingers through her hair. While Deanna had gone to talk to some of the parents whose children had gone missing, Dean and Sam had taken the Impala and gone to look at possible hiding places for the rawhead.

And Deanna thought she knew where that was.

Listening to the ringing on the other side, Deanna shook her head, a soft smile on her face. If ten years ago, someone had said that one day she would be hunting supernatural creatures with her missing brothers, she would have laughed at them. If they'd said that _three weeks_ ago, she would have laughed. Now, the three of them were working together to find a couple of missing kids.

"Tell me you have something." Dean's voice came over the line, obviously frustrated.

Deanna rolled her eyes. "I think I have something."

Deanna could imagine the surprise on Dean's face. "Tell me."

"There's an old abandoned farmhouse on the outside of town. Been abandoned for years. Local legend is that there was a crazy guy who killed his kids in the basement. Every kid I've talked to today is convinced he's still there." Deanna said, digging through her pockets for her keys.

"You got an address?" Dean asked. Deanna could see the grin in his voice.

"3455 Willow St." She said, swinging her keys around her fingers. "But that's not all."

"What?"

"Just talked to the Smith family on Second St. Their neighbor's two little kids, boy and girl, went missing four hours ago."

Dean cursed creatively, and Deanna could hear the Impala's tires squealing in the background. "How far out are you?"

"Almost an hour. I'm heading there now."

"Meet us there. Sam and I passed Willow St. a few minutes back. We're going to see if we can find those kids."

"Got it."

"Be safe, Annie."

"Yeah. You too."

O~O~O

Dean pulled up outside the old farmhouse, exactly where Deanna had said it was, only five minutes after hanging up on her. He'd thought about waiting for her, but like Sam had said, two kids were involved now. They didn't have the time to wait.

Dean followed Sam around to the trunk, excited, even considering the situation they were walking into. The only way to kill a rawhead was by flooding it's system with electricity.

And Dean had been dying to test out the tasers that he'd picked up in Atlanta a few months ago.

"What do you have those amped up to?" Sam asked as Dean handed him a taser.

"I modified them to a hundred thousand volts." Dean said, grabbing one for himself.

"Damn." Sam whispered.

"Yeah." Dean said, closing the trunk lid. "I want this rawhead, extra freakin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with this. So make it count."

Sam nodded his agreement, and the two of them approached the house in tandem. No matter how guilty Dean felt about taking Sam away from normal, he had missed this. Sam was almost like an extension of himself, and when he was gone, it felt like Dean had lost his right arm, little brother and best friend.

He didn't miss how, during the last two days of living in close quarters with Deanna, it'd become almost as easy to sense her, as it was to sense Sam.

After a quick, cursory check of the house, just to make sure the kids weren't upstairs somewhere, they made their way down to the basement, keeping their senses open for anything out of the ordinary. The two of them turned to the right, tasers at the ready, before a small noise to their left made them both freeze.

Dean tilted his head, and Sam nodded, a complete conversation in complete silence. Together, they both moved back the way they came.

An old cupboard rattled slightly. Sam and Dean exchanged a look, and then each chose a side. Dean took hold of one of the knobs, and then glanced at Sam. Getting a nod, showing he was ready, Sam aimed the taser at the door.

"On three." Dean whispered, almost silently. "One...two...three!"

On the count of three, Dean opened the cupboard door and then quickly planted himself in front of Sam and any possible threats.

Two dirty faced and frightened children stared back up at them.

Sam quickly stepped around his brother, and crouched down close to the ground, making himself as least intimidating as possible. "Is it still here?" he asked softly.

Both kids nodded, a boy and a girl, just like Deanna had said.

Dean made his decision then. He looked at the little boy, and reached a hand out, about the same time Sam reached for the little girl. "Okay. Grab your sister's hand. We gotta get you two out of here. Let's go."

The kids came out of the cupboard willingly, clinging close to the boys. Sam lead the way this time, tugging gently on the little girl, Dean and the little boy following close behind. A few steps up the stairs, and a gnarled, wrinkled hand reached out and grabbed Sam's ankle, pulling him down the stairs.

"Sam!" Dean yelled over the sound of the kids screaming. He let go of the little boy and raced around the side of the banister, took careful aim, and fired a shot at the rawhead.

And growled when he missed.

Sam had regained his feet by this time, and was reaching back for the kids again. Dean felt a swell of pride at his little brother's priorities. "Sam! Get 'em out of here!"

Sam turned slightly, and tossed his taser at Dean. "Take it!" He called, before reaching down and bundling both kids up in his arms, and racing up the stairs and out the front door. He kept a firm grip on both kids and didn't let go until they were standing next to the Impala. He quickly opened the doors and herded both of them inside, grabbing a blanket off the ground and and wrapping it around them.

"You two stay here, okay?" They nodded. "Don't open this door for anyone, unless it's me or my brother, got it?"

Both nodded again, and Sam shut the door, making sure he locked them in before turning to the house. Something was wrong. Dean should have followed right behind. After waiting a beat, Sam raced back to the house.

Running to the basement, the first thing he noticed before he even opened the basement door that had slammed shut behind him, was the smell of burnt flesh. The feeling that something was wrong only intensified. He gently pushed open the door, carefully making his way down the stairs.

The first thing he saw, was the rawhead, still smoking slightly and obviously dead, laying a few feet away, the lines of the taser still stuck in it's chest. Sam nodded at it satisfactorily before looking around for his brother.

When he located him, Sam felt his heart drop down through his stomach.

Dean was laying on the ground in a puddle of water, not moving.

"Dean!" Sam called, running down the rest of the stairs and stomping through the water. He shook Dean's shoulder hard, and started to panic when he got zero response.

"Dean. Hey. Hey. Don't do this." Sam said, searching for a pulse. When he didn't find any, he immediately pulled out his cell and called 911. After giving quick directions to the perky voice on the other end, Sam tossed his phone and began CPR.

Two agonizing minutes passed without any response from Dean, and Sam knew because he counted, when finally, Dean jerked, rolled to the side and started coughing. After he stopped, he laid back on the ground, breaths weak and uneven.

"Dean?" Sam whispered quietly, placing a hand on his chest, just over Dean's heart. It was beating, but it was uneven and stuttering slightly.

Dean opened his eyes to slits and sought his brother. Sam had pulled him close, and was looking at him expectantly. "S'm?" he gasped out.

"Yeah, Dean. It's me. You're gonna be okay."

Even though it looked like it hurt, Dean forced himself to stay conscious. "Kids 'kay?" he whispered.

Sam just about kicked himself. He of all people knew Dean's priorities. "I'm safe and so are the kids. You killed it, Dean."

Dean stared at him for a moment more, before letting his eyes slide shut. Sam kept on hand on his heart, and the other on his pulse until the paramedics came and moved him out of the way.

O~O~O

With Sam and the kids out of harms way, Dean allowed himself to focus on the hunt, and the supernatural creature that right now posed a threat to the two small children, and the one over-sized one. As much as he would have liked to have had Sam, or even Deanna, as inexperienced as she was at his back, he was glad neither of them were there.

"Come on." He muttered to himself, shining his flashlight into the dark corners, keeping his eyes peeled for the rawhead. Still, he wasn't expecting it when the rawhead jumped out of a dark corner and threw him into a wall. Crashing through a puddle of standing water, Dean recovered quickly and then took aim and the approaching creature, not noticing until it was too late, that they were both standing in the same puddle.

Dean's aim was true, and then leads hit the rawhead in the middle of the chest. However, Dean watched in horror as blue lines of electricity traveled down the rawhead's body, into the water and headed straight towards Dean. He felt pain, unlike anything he had ever felt before travel up his legs and into his chest. He fell backwards against the wall, and the world went black.

O~O~O

Deanna was speeding down the highway, headed towards her brothers when she felt it. A painful shock in her chest, so sudden and painful that she almost crashed her bike into a fence. She skidded to a stop, pulled off her helmet and leaned over the handle bars, trying to catch her breath.

She shook her head, trying to pull herself together. After that first initial shock, and then the feeling like something was _very _wrong with her world, everything faded out. Aside from being out of breath, she felt fine. Her heart was still beating too fast, but other than that...

Deanna glanced at her watch, surprised to find she'd been sitting there for almost fifteen minutes, and then gingerly put her helmet back on. She turned her bike around and then headed back in the same direction she'd been heading before.

Just before she turned down the road that should take her to the farmhouse, an ambulance raced past her, coming from the opposite direction. The feeling that something was very wrong overcame her again, and she had to force herself to continue down the road.

She didn't even make it to the farmhouse. A police cruiser was parked in the middle of the road, and a young cop leaned against it.

Deanna pulled up in front of him, and pulled of her helmet, shaking her hair out.

"What's going on?" she asked calmly, getting off the bike and sauntering towards him.

The cop looked her up and down appreciatively and then smiled at her. "A crime scene in progress, Miss. Nothing we can't handle."

"Huh. A crime scene? What happened?" She asked, unzipping her coat slightly and smiling up at him seductively.

The young cop seemed to be eating up her act. "Some sicko had been kidnapping young kids for the last few months. A couple of good Samaritans accidentally found them tonight."

"Oh yeah?" she asked. "Couple a guys about my age?"

"Yeah." he said. "Why? You know them?"

Deanna nodded towards the shiny, classic black car she could see sitting outside the farmhouse. "That's my brother's car."

The cop's face fell, and Deanna felt something clench, deep in her chest. "Oh..."

"What?"

He looked up at her, and then let his gaze shift to his boots. "One of the guys...I don't know what all happened, but they wheeled him out of here on a stretcher. There was a really tall guy that followed."

Deanna just blinked at him in shock for a moment, not even able to speak. The cop just looked at her nervously.

Finally, Deanna found her voice, cracked and worried as it was. "Where are they taking them?"

"Mercy Hospital." The cop said, scuffing his feet in the gravel. "It's about ten minutes up the road. You can't miss it." He said, pointing in the right direction.

Deanna nodded, and then raced back for her bike. She quickly drove around the cop, ignoring his protests and parked next to the car. She jumped out, and got in, putting it in gear and driving to the hospital. They could always come back for her bike later.

As she drove, her mind set on a continuous loop of 'Please let them be okay.'

Deanna couldn't imagine losing either one of her brothers now. Not when they were just starting be a family.

She vowed to herself that she wouldn't lose them as she raced down the road, the loud bass of some rock band Deanna didn't know, filling up the silence.

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your support. I appreciate it more than I can even say. My inbox is filled with e-mails showing alerts and reviews! Thank you all! **


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight:

Sam was just pulling out his cell phone to call Deanna, ignoring his brother's mangled and fried one, when Deanna came around the corner, making a bee line for him.

"Thank God. You're okay." She said, going up to him and pulling him into a hug.

Sam wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, drawing comfort from her presence. "I'm okay." He repeated. "But Dean..." Sam pulled away and turned to look at the stark white emergency room doors.

Normally when one of them was hurt, the ER usually let the other follow, unless they were heading directly into surgery. This time, they hadn't even let him inside the doors. He stared at the doors, feeling helpless.

A soft hand touched his face and turned his gaze downward. "Sammy. Look at me. Tell me what happened?"

Sam just stared at her. How could he tell his big sister, Dean's _twin_, that it was his fault her brother was now beyond reach? That her brother was electrocuted because he wasn't there to watch his back?

How could he do that to her, when she'd just been reunited with Dean?

She'd never look at Sam the same way again.

And it would be all his fault.

Sam was saved from having to explain by two local cops walking up, wanting statements. Deanna just glued herself to his side, staying close and offering support.

Support he knew she would withdraw as soon as she knew what he'd done.

Sam was just getting frustrated by the cop's endless questions, when he glanced at the doors for the millionth time, and saw a doctor heading towards them.

"Excuse me." Sam said, moving toward the doctor.

Both cops dismissed him, and headed off. Sam didn't pay them any mind, turning his attention to Dean's doctor.

"Hey, doc." Sam started, feeling Deanna's warmth at his side. "Is he..."

"He's resting." the doctor interrupted, looking at both the Winchester siblings with sympathy.

"And?" Sam prompted. He didn't like the look on the doctor's face, and after sneaking a look at Deanna, he could tell she was worried as well.

The doctor sighed. "The electrocution triggered a heart attack." Deanna's fingers clamped down _hard _on Sam's forearm. "It was pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart...it was damaged."

"How damaged?" Sam asked, voice cracking. He struggled to hold steady; to be strong for Deanna.

"We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point." Sam almost couldn't hear anymore over the roaring in his ears. "But I'd give him a couple of weeks. At most, maybe a month."

_No!_

"No. No, there's gotta be something you can do." Sam said desperately. Hearing the doctor's diagnosis of his brother, his invincible, incredible..._heroic_, big brother, cut to the bone. "Some kind of treatment?"

"We can't work miracles." The doctor said, looking at Sam, and then at Deanna. "I really am sorry."

"Thank you doctor," Deanna said, steadier than Sam would have been able to manage. She gently tugged him over to sit in one of the awful plastic chairs along the hallway. Sam went with her pliantly, letting his knees collapse.

"Sammy?" Deanna asks, kneeling in front of him. "Sammy, look at me."

It's not an order. Her tone is pleading, and Sam forces himself to look at her, taking in her-_Dean's_-green eyes. The sadness in them hurts, but it's the concern that slaps Sam upside the face with it's illogical injustice. Deanna shouldn't be concerned for him. He's the reason Dean's going to die. She should hate him.

With that thought, Sam can see his life crumbling before his eyes. With Dean dead, Sam would have no one. He wouldn't be able to go back to school, he wouldn't have a brother, his sister would walk away, and his father probably wouldn't be bothered to have anything to do with his second born son. He would be truly and completely alone.

An orphan.

"I'm sorry." Sam choked out. "God, Annie. I'm so sorry."

Deanna tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow, looking so much like her brother it hurt. "What are you talking about?" she asked, genuinely confused.

Sam sucked in a deep breath. "It's my fault." He whispered. "I should have _been _there, and I _wasn't_. Dean would never have left me by myself down there with that_...thing_, but I did, and now he'd going to...to...to _die._ And it's all my fault you're not going to have a brother anymore, and I'm just so _sorry._" He dropped his face into his hands, letting his elbows rest on his knees. He didn't want to see the dissapointment and hatred in Deanna's eyes. He didn't want to watch her walk away from him.

He just wanted his family back. To before he went ahead and killed a brother, was disowned by a father, and alienated a sister.

It sucked to be alone.

Which was why it completely shocked him when Deanna's arms came up and wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close to her.

"In case you hadn't noticed," she whispered softly into his ear. "I have _two _brothers. Not just one."

Sam jerked away from her. "Deanna...I _killed _him." He looked into her eyes, waiting for the inevitable wave of hatred to flash through them. "Doesn't that mean anything to you? Your brother is going to _die. _And it's my fault."

Deanna shook her head, letting her hair fall around her face. "Sam, why don't you just start from the beginning. Tell me what happened."

Sam took a shaky breath, and started by telling Deanna everything that had happened since Dean had gotten off the phone with her. Deanna listened quietly, and when he was finished, reached up with a soft hand, and brushed away the lone tear that had escaped Sam's defenses.

"Sam," She started, tone leaving no room for argument. "I want you to listen to me. What happened to Dean _is not your fault._"

"But..." Sam tried to interrupt.

"No." Deanna cut him off. "I don't know where you got the idea that this is your fault, but it's not. Dean...Dean is an idiot. A stupid, selfless, idiot who gives no thought at all for his own safety. But he's an idiot who loves you very much. Dean _told_ you to go. He handed you the children, _the children_, Sam, knowing that you would and could protect them. But it also took you out of immediate danger. I know I haven't been around for all that long, but I have experience with protective older...people." Her lips turned up slightly at the word 'people'. "Dean, from day one decided that it was his responsibility to keep this family going. That includes looking out for you...and me, the moron." Sam smiled as Deanna continued. "You didn't kill him. You _saved _him. Your quick thinking got him here, so that we can do something about this. So whatever you're thinking, that you're a bad brother...or a bad person, whatever...this stops now."

Sam glanced down at his feet, and then back up at Deanna. Her eyes were so expressive, and instead of the hatred and disgust he'd been convinced he'd see, he only saw concern, worry, and a look he knew all to well, even if Winchesters didn't actually say the word: _Love._

Deanna watched him critically for a moment, and then gave him a soft smile. "I also want you to understand something. The next time you start talking like I'm going to leave, get angry at you for something that is clearly the fault of an idiot, I am going to punch you. And then I'm going to have to punch Dean, because he's going to try and stand up for you. I've got no problem putting both of you on your ass. Got it? You two are family. No matter what you do, or what you think you did, that's never going to change. _Ever._"

Sam nodded, and this time when Deanna pulled him into a hug, he tightened his arms around her, the fear of losing his family dissipating in her embrace.

O~O~O

Dean had still been asleep when Deanna had ordered them both up. They'd gone back to get Deanna's bike, and by the time they'd returned, Dean was sitting up in the small hospital bed, watching television.

He looked bad. Even Deanna could see that. His normally tanned skin was pale, and there were dark bruises under his eyes. With the wires connecting to his arms, and slow, deliberate way he was moving, made him look weak and small. Two words that Deanna never thought she would ever use to describe her larger than life older brother. Not ever in a million years.

Dean glanced at them as they walked in, relief obvious in his eyes. Deanna wasn't sure what he had to be relieved for, and she hated that he even had to look that way. Dean attempted to smirk at them, the smile not quite reaching his eyes.

"Have either of you actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible." His voice was weak. It made Deanna want to curl up in a corner and cry.

Sam glanced over at Deanna. She rolled her eyes and mouthed the word 'idiot' at him. Sam let his lips twitch and then turned sad puppy eyes on his brother.

"I talked to your doctor." He said softly.

Deanna set herself down in one of the uncomfortable chairs next to Dean's bed and propped her feet up on the edge, nudging his leg lightly. Dean glanced at her, and she nodded at Sam. A silent, 'I'm fine. Deal with your brother.'

Dean glanced at the television again as channels changed too quickly for Sam to interpret. He finally stopped on a commercial with a happy teddy bear romping across the screen. "That fabric softener teddy bear." Dean snarked, again trying to cut down on some of Sam's tension; to make him smile slightly. "Oh. I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down."

Sam pinched his lips together, frowning at Dean. "Dean..." he started, before realizing he didn't know what to say.

Dean sighed. He knew this was going to be hard on Sam. Dean didn't have any problems with death. He'd be dying because he was saving lives, and the kids were going to be okay. Sam had Deanna, and yeah, he had to talk to her, make sure she was going to be there to look after Sam. He did however, have a problem with not being able to help Sam.

Dean flicked off the TV. "All right. Well, I guess you two are going to have to leave town without me." He avoided looking at Sam, instead picking at a loose string in the blanket covering him.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked incredulously. "I'm not going to just _leave_ you here."

Dean forced himself to look at his brother. "Hey. You better take care of that car, or I swear I'll haunt your ass." He glanced at Deanna. "Sorry. But you already have a bike."

Sam looked like he was about ready to cry, and Dean just wanted to do something, _anything, _to take that look off his face. "I don't think that's funny." he said, voice cracking on tears he didn't want to shed.

"Aw, come on. It's a little funny." Sam just stared at him, causing Dean sigh. He absently picked at the IV in his arm. "Look Sammy, what can I say? It's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it. End of story."

Sam shook his head defiantly. "Don't talk like that, alright? We still have options..."

"What options, Sam?" Dean interrupted. "There's burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy, but I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it."

A fire lit in Sam's eyes. "Watch me." he stated, before stomping out of the room.

Dean laid back in the bed, exhausted from talking with Sam. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Deanna's slender fingers firmly but gently stopped him from picking at his IV. "That was harsh." she said softly.

"What?" he asked, too tired to try and play catch up with her.

"You. What you said about burial or cremation. That was harsh. Sam doesn't need to hear that right now."

Dean tilted his head to look at her full on. While she was remaining calm and collected, Dean could see the whirlwind of emotions in her eyes, the foremost being fear and sadness.

"Look, I can't coddle him forever."

"I'm not telling you to coddle him, Dean. But that was out of line." Deanna had started tracing random patterns onto Dean's palm with her finger tip. Dean felt his eyes begin to close, sleep encroaching on his vision.

"It's true." He said, fighting the sleep.

Deanna flung his hand down, and he felt the vibration rattle through his bones. "You really don't have a problem with this, do you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Dean went back to scratching at the IV. "Are the kids alive?"

Deanna looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Yeah."

"Sammy alive?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's pissed. And hurting. And scared. And miserable. But yeah, he's alive."

Dean nodded. "You going to look after him?" he shifted his gaze to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You know I am." she said. "Where're you going with this?"

"I just...I just can't bring myself to be upset about everything, when I know that the world..._my world_...is about as right as I can make it considering the circumstances. You said it yourself, I'm a born hunter. I always knew I was going to die before I was thirty. I imagined it a little more impressive and bloody, but still. I knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. But you can't ask me to be upset that I died saving two little kids and my own kid brother. I can't. I won't."

Deanna stood up, and shoved her hands into her pockets. "You're an idiot."

Dean looked up at his twin. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." she said. "You. Are. An. Idiot. I mean, I like you and all..."

"Gee, thanks."

"...but you are an idiot. You don't understand that you're not the one really dying here. You've essentially just killed your little brother, and eviscerated your little sister, and you don't give a crap."

Dean shook his head. "I give a crap. I just don't see the point of worrying over something that I can't do anything about."

"How about not being so blase' about it in front of Sam? That'll help for starters."

Deanna and Dean stared each other down for a moment. "Look," Deanna started. "You and I both know how this is going to work out. Just because I've accepted it, doesn't mean I have to like it. But Sam needs us to think about _him. _He's going to try and find a way to save you, and I'm going to be the one to have to pick up his pieces when he fails. So man up, stop being an idiot, and think about your brother. Because like I told Sam earlier, I have no problem with beating the crap out of a sick person."

Dean smirked at that last statement, and watched as Deanna headed for the door. "Where're you going?" he asked.

Deanna turned. "You need sleep, and I have a little brother to look after. Call me if you need anything."

Dean nodded and watched her go. She was halfway down the hallway, when she turned around and poked her head through the door. "When I got here, Sam was freaking out. And when I finally got him to tell me what was up, he started apologizing to me."

"For what?" Dean asked, confused.

Deanna looked at him pointedly. "For killing my brother. Not _our _brother. But _my_ brother. He was afraid that once you were gone, he'd be completely alone in this world. An orphan. And not only that, he was positive he was a bad brother, and a bad person because he'd left you alone in that basement. That he wasn't there when you got hurt. And that to him, apparently meant he'd killed you. So next time you feel like driving nails through Sam's soul, maybe you should think about that."

With those final words of thought, Deanna turned around and stomped down the hallway.

Dean could only sit there is shock and surprise, Deanna's outburst taking him by surprise. Feeling guilty, Dean drifted off into an uneven sleep.

**Author's Note: Thanks guys for all your support. Honestly, it means more than you know. I'm not sure about this chapter, I wrote it in an hour. Let me know what you think. **


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:

Deanna sat on one of the crappy beds that had been jammed into the equally as crappy motel room. She twirled her cell phone around in her hand, waiting for it to show some sign of life, and kept her gaze firmly on her little brother.

Sam was on his phone again, calling everyone on God's green earth, pulling in every favor he had from the sounds of things, looking for any way, supernatural or not, to heal his big brother.

Deanna had the suspicion it wasn't just for himself he wanted his brother back, but for her as well.

It startled her, when he cleared his throat and started leaving a message for 'Dad'. She blinked at him in surprise, not that he actually turned around to look. He'd gotten used to her constant stare. _'I swear, Annie, if there was any doubt that you and Dean were twins, that look right there would have convinced me. The 'I'm not letting you out of my sight' look. For someone who's only known her twin for a little while, you sure act like him.'_

Thing was, Deanna hadn't even thought to call their father. For the last few years it'd just been her, with a little bit of help from Missouri and...a traveling drifter...sometimes. She'd fought and bled for everything she had in her life, including her brothers. It still kinda surprised her that she actually had a 'parent' out there somewhere.

Sam finished his message, with a promise to their father that he would find a way to save Dean, and then tossed his phone on the mattress next to him. He let out a frustrated sigh, and raked shaky fingers through his hair.

"Three days," he croaked out. "Three days, and I haven't found anything."

Deanna's phone vibrated in her hand, signalling an incoming text message. She glanced down at it, flicking her thumb to open the message. Without looking at it, she fixed her gaze to the back of Sam's skull. "Sammy..." she started softly. "You might...I mean, maybe...maybe there isn't anything for you _to _find. You can't cheat death, kiddo. You know that."

Sam stiffened under her words. "Don't _ever _say that." he growled quietly, dangerously. "Winchester's don't quit."

Deanna stayed quiet at that, and turned to her phone. She had to read the message twice, and then had a quiet debate with herself on whether to tell Sam or not.

Sam tossed a book down and reached for his phone again. "I'm going to call Caleb again. Maybe...maybe he knows something now."

"As opposed to an hour ago?" Deanna asked, as mildly as possible. Apparently, not mild enough.

"Well maybe you could get over here and help me." Sam snapped. "He's your brother too, in case you forgot. But instead you're just sitting there, texting. Dean is going to _die_ if we don't do something."

Deanna glanced down at her phone again, the neat mechanical words mocking her. On one hand, if it worked, it would save him. On the other hand, if it didn't, and Dean still died...it would destroy Sam.

And deep down, where she didn't even like to admit it to herself, she knew it would kill her as well.

"Sam." Deanna started. She waited until Sam turned around impatiently to look at her, and she swallowed thickly, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Um...so, I...know this...guy, right? And he and I sometimes work together."

"So?" Sam asked, fingers drifting towards his phone and papers again.

"So...we don't dance together, Sam. We...we've _hunted, _for lack of a better word, together."

Sam turned around to look at her full on then. "Okay. And you're telling me this why?"

Deanna nervously started picking at her cuticles. "Well, sometimes he knows stuff. Stuff I only dream about knowing, and other stuff I hope to God I never have to know about. _Ever. _I sent him a text about our...situation. He..._might _have a solution."

"Well, what?" Sam asked, practically bouncing in his seat.

"Sammy, you have to understand. Me and this guy...were _not _friends. We...sometimes work together when the circumstances are convenient for the both of us, and neither of our goals get in the way of the others. Get it? I don't know if this will work. The only reason he is talking to me is...he sorta owes me a favor. But I only trust him about as far as I can throw him. I'm not sure I trust him with Dean."

Sam looked at her, eyes dewy and moist. "It's _Dean, _Annie. We have to try."

Deanna pulled in a breath, "Okay." She said, laying her phone down and willing her hands to stop shaking. Thing was, Damon was _dangerous. _She'd known that since their first words to each other, back when she was sixteen, before she ever knew what he was. And she was so _not _going to explain what he was to her _hunter _brothers. While he 'kinda sorta' owed her a favor, she 'for sure' owed him her _life._ And the lives of half the students she'd ever had. They weren't friends, not by a long shot, but there was a faint sense of loyalty, and a shaky agreement not to kill each other.

She just wasn't sure that shaky agreement applied to her brothers. Hell, she wasn't sure if it applied to _his _brother.

Deanna and Sam had just finished looking into the faith healer Damon had suggested in Nebraska, when there was a soft knock at the door. Neither one of them were expecting anyone, and the exchanged a glance before Deanna got up off the bed, and carefully stepped over to the door. Sam had his hand on his gun, and nodded his readiness.

When Deanna swung the door open, she blinked in surprise at Dean, leaning weakly against the door frame.

"Dean!" she chirped in surprise. Stepping aside for Dean to limp in the room.

Sam had stood up, and was looking at his brother with the same sort of surprise. "What the hell are you doing here, man?"

"I checked myself out." he said, looking between his siblings.

"Are you completely nuts?" Deanna asked, going back over to the bed to erase text messages and call histories. She didn't put it past either one of her brothers to start investigating someone who obviously made her nervous if the thought occurred to them. And she really didn't need any of them actually meeting. She shuddered at the thought.

"Hey," Dean said, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. "I'm not going to die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot." He shrugged his shoulder, and after seeming to make a decision, started to limp towards the the chair Sam had vacated.

"You know," Sam said, putting one hand on his hip. "This whole, 'I laugh in the face of death' thing? It's crap. I can see right through it."

"Yeah, whatever dude." Dean said, stumbling a little. Sam was right there to help him to the chair before Deanna had even put her feet on the floor. "Have either of you even slept. You two look worse than I do."

"Not likely with someone this hot." Deanna snarked, earning a smile from Dean and an eye roll from Sam.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, sister." Dean snarked back.

Deanna smiled, and then tossed her phone on the side table, pulling her duffel bag out from under the bed and starting to gather her things.

"Are you going somewhere?" Dean asked when Sam left his side to copy Deanna.

"We." Sam corrected. "We are going to Nebraska."

"Why?" Dean asked.

Sam and Deanna exchanged a look. "I've been scouring the internet and calling all of our contacts and Dad's for the last three days. And Deanna, apparently has a few contacts..."

"Just one." she piped up.

"Okay...a _contact_ that called her back."

"Contact for what?" Dean asked, looking confused.

"For a way to help you. He...he?" at Deanna's nod, Sam continued. "He told us about a guy in Nebraska. A...specialist."

Deanna disguised her grin at Sam's choice of words by ducking under the bed, pretending to make sure everything was out from under there. They both knew Dean wouldn't willingly go see a faith healer. A part of her mourned at the thought of what a great lawyer Sam would have made.

Dean looked between the two of them. "You guys aren't going to let me die in peace are you?"

Deanna stood up, looked at Sam, and then turned her gaze on Dean. "We're not gonna let you die, period."

Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't protest all that much, when the three of them headed for interstate a few hours later.

O~O~O

A few hours from the address Damon had given them, Sam pulled over at a rest stop gas station to re-fuel, get coffee, and to make sure Dean ate something. When Sam went into the building, Deanna crawled off her bike, stiff from the many hours of riding in the same bent over position, following and zipping around the Impala like a dark shadow on the road. Sometimes she was pretty sure Sam was racing her, and she smiled at the thought.

She sauntered over to the side of the car, where Dean had rolled down the window, and shook her hair loose from the pony tail. The ends were tangled and matted from where they refused to stay under her helmet and had whipped around in the wind. She grimaced at the drizzly and rainy weather, and made her decision right there, that she hated Nebraska, cold and wet as it was.

"Hey." Dean said as she leaned against the side of the car. "You ride like a crazy person, you know that right? I thought Sam was going to run you over a time or ten."

Deanna grinned, the same fun loving smirk that Dean remembered their father used to have, _before. _"Nah. I knew where he was. He wasn't going to hit me."

"Damn straight." Dean said. "Would have dented my baby. And dying or not, I will kick both of your asses if you put one scratch on her."

Deanna shook her head, a small smile on her lips. Looking down at her boots, she let the smile slide off her her face like water. "Why didn't you call me or Sam to come get you from the hospital?"

Dean was silent for a moment. "Honestly?"

"Honestly."

Dean paused, again. Then, "I wasn't entirely positive you guys were still there. I was sorta hoping you'd managed to convince Sam to move on."

Deanna sighed. If she were physically capable of the move, she'd kick herself. She'd called, and Sam had called, and Dean and her had been texting non stop...but neither one of them had gone back to the hospital in three days, Sam too intent on finding a way to save Dean, and Deanna too focussed on making sure Sam slept and ate at regular intervals while debating whether or not to contact Damon.

What else was Dean supposed to think?

"You, me and Sammy..." Deanna began, turning slightly to look at Dean. "...we're a packaged deal. You're not getting rid of us that easy."

Dean snorted. "I got that." The twins sat there in silence for a moment, before Dean spoke again. "You think this specialist can help?"

"Honestly?" Deanna asked, catching sight of Sam, and oh dear God that freak was tall, in the windows of the gas station.

"Honestly." Dean echoed her.

"I don't know." She turned to look at Dean, to meet his gaze head on. "The source I got it from...I'm not sure I trust him with the well being of my brothers. _We _promised a mutual friend we wouldn't kill each other...but I'm not sure if that...compromise includes immediate family members."

"You don't trust him."

"Nope."

"He dangerous."

"Oh yeah."

"To you?"

Deanna thought about it for a moment. "No. Our friend made him promise. He'd pretty much realign the planets for her if she asked."

Dean thankfully let it the subject go. She didn't really want to explain the sketchy relationship she had with Damon. She wasn't positive _she _understood the parameters of the relationship.

Sam came out of the gas station a moment later, and they were soon back on the road.

O~O~O

Dean watched Deanna in the rear view mirror, as she carefully maneuvered her bike around the worst of the mud and found a somewhat solid portion of road to park her bike on. She glanced up at the Impala, and then pulled off her helmet, lips moving and an annoyed look on her face.

Dean was pretty sure what was coming out of her mouth were words not fit for little ears.

He looked away, the smile still on his lips when the car finally stopped. What he saw made the smile fall right off his lips.

A white tent and a sign that said 'The Church of Roy LeGrange. Faith Healer.' shone out at him as he got out of the car.

Sam jogged around the car to help Dean out, and he angrily shrugged him off. Manipulative siblings. They knew he wouldn't have agreed to this. "Get off me." he snapped. "Man, you are a lying bastard. Thought you said we were going to a doctor."

"I believe he said 'specialist', Dean." Deanna's voice washed over them, and Dean turned to glare at her, her and her damn contact. "Now, I'm just as skeptical as you, but this guy is supposed to be the real deal."

"You are both lying bastards. And your contact too. I can't believe you two brought me here to a guy who heals people out of a tent!"

An old woman turned around to glare at them. "Roy LeGrange is a great man!"

"Yeah, that's nice." Dean snapped. Before he could say anything, Sam had successfully turned him away from her. They walked past a young guy, around Dean and Deanna's age, yelling something about being allowed to protest there to some local police. Dean was too busy plotting the deaths of his brother and sister to pay any attention.

"I take it he's not part of the flock." Dean gripped, still angry.

"When people see something they can't explain, there's controversy. You of all people should be able to understand that." Sam said, off to his right. Deanna had taken up position somewhere at his back. Dean was glad to have someone there.

"Really, Sam? A faith healer?"

"Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean." Sam said, wisely.

"You know what I've got faith in?" Dean asked. "Reality. Knowing what's really going on._" _And you and Annie, Dean thought, not that'd he'd _ever _say that out loud.

"How can you be a skeptic?" Sam asked, genuinely curious. "With the stuff we see everyday?"

"Exactly. We see them. We know they're real."

"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there too?" Dean knew Sam's curiosity voice, and he groaned inwardly. When Sam got started, there was no stopping him.

"Because I've seen what evil does to good people." Dean snapped.

The blond woman in front of them had apparently overheard them, and turned around, holding a blue umbrella above her head. "Maybe God works in mysterious ways." she said with a bright, friendly smile.

Dean smiled at her, pulling out his charm. He was _dying _not _dead. _And he'd always had a thing for blondes. And brunettes. And red heads. And that girl with that almost purple/black hair in Oregon that one time... "Maybe he does," he said flirting, and he could practically _hear _Deanna and Sam's synchronized eye roll. "I think you just turned me around on the subject."

The girl grinned, "I'm sure."

Dean held out his hand. "I'm Dean." He jerked his head at his shadows. "This is Sam, and that's Deanna."

"Hi." she said, shaking his hand, and smiling at the other two. "I'm Layla. So if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"

Dean shoved his hands in his pockets. "Apparently these two believe enough for all three of us."

Layla smiled at him knowingly, and then followed an older woman who had to be a relative...maybe her mom? into the tent. Dean watched her go. "You know, I bet she could work in some mysterious ways."

"TMI, Dean." Deanna said at his left ear.

Dean smirked at her, and grudgingly allowed Sam to usher him inside.

Inside almost all the chairs had been filled, all in front of a large stage. He felt Deanna recoil slightly at their back, but before he could turn around to talk to her, Sam had pushed him forward. Dean nodded at the cameras that were installed in the tent. "Yeah. Peace, love and trust all over." he muttered.

Sam ignored him and continued pushing him forward, even when Dean wanted to sit down in the back. Sam just shoved him until they were sitting a few rows from the front. Behind Layla and the other woman.

Just after they'd sat down, and Dean had noticed Deanna had stayed at the back of the tent, leaning casually against one of the poles, an older, blind man gingerly walked up the stage, cane tapping as he went, helped by a woman about the same age. He took to the podium, and faced the crowd.

"Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news." He called out over the crowd. "Never seems good does it?"

The crowd around the Winchesters murmured their agreement. LeGrange just continued.

"Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act. But I say to you, God is watching. God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt. Who does the healing here friends? It's the Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal, and helping me see into people's hearts."

The crowd murmured around them again, and Dean leaned over and whispered to Sam, "Yeah, and into their wallets."

"You think so, young man?" Roy called out. The church went silent, and all of them turned to stare at Dean. Dean's fingers twitched nervously in the pockets of Sam's hoodie that he was wearing.

"Sorry." He muttered, not really all that sorry.

"No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man. We've got real sharp ears." Roy said with a smile, earning a laugh from the congregation. Even Dean allowed himself a tentative smile. The guy was okay if he could laugh at himself. "What's your name, son?"

Dean hesitated, before looking at Sam's pointed gaze. He sighed. "Uh. Dean."

Roy nodded. "Dean." He thought for a moment, and then jerked his fingers in his direction. "I want you to come up here with me."

The crowd cheered, but Dean shook his head. "No that's okay."

Sam gasped a protest in his ear, and Dean ignored him. Roy just continued to smile. "You've come here to be healed, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah..." Dean stuttered. "But...maybe you should just pick someone else."

"Oh, I didn't pick you," Roy insisted. "The Lord did."

The crowd continued to cheer, and Roy kept his hand out. Sam pushed him out of his chair. "Go!" he whispered in his ear.

Ultimately it was Sam's hopeful puppy dog gaze that made him get up out of the chair, despite all his misgivings about the situation. He'd never been good at saying 'no' to Sam.

Dean gingerly walked up the steps to stand next to Roy, seeking out Deanna the second he turned his gaze on the crowd. She twitched her lips at him, encouraging, but still skeptical, he could tell. He was brought out of his staring contest with Deanna when Roy laid his hand on his head.

"All right now..." Roy muttered quietly.

A wave of cold...wrongness washed over Dean, and he suddenly felt weaker than ever. After a few moments, his knees gave out, and he crashed to the ground. Dean tipped over into darkness.

When he woke, he could tell it'd only been a minute, but Sam and Deanna were kneeling next to him, looking worried. Dean struggled to sit up, noticing that he was suddenly able to breathe without effort for the first time since he'd been electrocuted. Sam helped him, clinging tightly to his arm.

It was then that he saw the old man in the dark suit stare at him for a moment, and then walk away, disappearing into thin air.

"Dean?" he heard Sam ask over the roar in his ears. He turned to face his siblings, and noticed that Deanna was staring at the place the old man had been standing just moments before.

A look of utter terror etched onto her face.

**Author's Note: Wow, that was long. :) Hope you enjoy. **


	11. Chapter Ten

_Chapter Ten:_

Dean ignored his brother's staring, and leaned impatiently against the exam table, staring off into space. Something was off, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He felt like bugs were crawling on his skin, and the fact that Deanna had disappeared somewhere early this morning, was starting to make him antsy.

"So, you really feel okay?" Sam asked. _Again._

"I feel fine, Sam." Dean answered shortly. He was saved from another question when the cardiac doctor they'd come in to see that morning finally came back in the room, holding a file folder with the words _D. Winchester_ written along the edge.

"Well," she said cheerfully. "According to all your tests, there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was." Dean could feel Sam breath a sigh of relief next to him, and even with the feeling of wrongness he couldn't get away from, something deep inside him unclenched as well. "Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but still, it's strange it does happen."

Dean, who'd been watching Sam out of the corner of his eye, snapped his attention to the doctor. "What do you mean, strange?"

The woman shrugged. "Well, just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven...athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack." She gave them a smile and then left the room.

Dean pulled on his jacket as Sam thanked the doctor. Something was seriously wrong. "That's odd." he mentioned casually to Sam, even as he could feel small tendrils of panic coil around in his belly.

"Maybe it's a coincidence." Sam said quickly, knowing exactly where Dean was going with this. "People's hearts give out all the time."

"No." Dean argued, turning to look at Sam square on. "They don't."

"Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth?" Sam asked, pleading with his brother to let this one go. "Why can't we just be thankful this guy saved your life and move on?"

"Because..." He sighed. This was not something he wanted to discuss with Sam, but he knew that if he didn't, then Sam would just stay after it. Like a friggin' dog with a bone. "Because I can't shake this feeling. That's why."

"What feeling?"

Dean shrugged. "When I was healed, I...I just felt wrong. I felt cold...and for a second, I saw someone. This, uh...this old man. And I'm telling you Sam, it was a spirit."

"But..." Sam licked his lips, and looked around, shuffling his feet. "...if there was something there, I think I would have seen it too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately."

Dean glanced up in irritation. "Well excuse me, psychic wonder. You're just gonna need a little faith on this one Sam. I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."

Sam nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. Alright. So...what do you want to do?"

"I want you to go check out heart attack guy." Dean said, feeling minutely better now that he had something to do instead of just sitting aimlessly and feeling...wrong. He turned to walk out the door. "I'm going to go talk to the reverend. And where the Hell is Deanna?"

"She took off early this morning. I don't know where." Sam said meekly from behind him.

Dean took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll find her. Go. I'll see you back at the motel."

Sam looked reluctant to leave his older brother, but at Dean's determined stare, he took off down the hallway. Dean pulled out his cell phone, and dialed.

"Hello?" she asked quietly.

"Where are you?" Dean asked, walking purposefully towards his car.

"At the motel. I take it Sam dragged you off to the doctor's."

"Yeah." Dean said. "And they poked at me, and prodded at me...all to tell me there's nothing wrong with my heart."

"That's great." Deanna said distractedly.

"Not great. You saw the old man too, didn't you." It wasn't a question.

Deanna sighed. "You know, subtlety is not your strong point." At Dean's silence, she continued. "Yeah, I saw him. He looked like a ghost but...if so, why didn't anyone else see him? Why not Sam?"

"I don't know. But get this. Sometime yesterday, a guy my age dropped dead of a heart attack...instead of me."

Stunned silence was his only answer before a shaky, "What?"

"Yeah." Dean swallowed around the lump in his throat, and pushed forward. "Stay where you are. I'm going to talk to the reverend. I'll pick you up."

"Yeah. Okay. I'll be ready."

Dean nodded and snapped the phone shut, peeling out of the parking lot and zipping down the road towards the motel. He wouldn't tell Deanna this...but he felt better going to see the reverend with her there, strong at his back.

O~O~O

Deanna was quiet the whole ride over, only answering direct questions Dean directed her way. Dean kept glancing over at her out of the corner of his eyes, but she just stared ahead, picking at her cuticles. It was something he'd noticed she did when she was nervous, or thinking about something.

They finally pulled up outside the reverend's house, and Dean marched up the steps. Deanna stayed on his heels, little more than a shadow.

Sue Ann answered the door, but she didn't look surprised to see him. "Dean! How nice to see you. Please, come in."

Dean walked in, and felt Deanna follow behind him. "Sue Ann, this is Deanna. My sister."

"Hello, Deanna." Sue Ann said pleasantly.

Dean listened as Deanna made quiet but polite small talk with Sue Ann, before he stepped forward. "I was wondering if your husband was home. I'd really like to talk to him."

Sue Ann smiled, "Of course. Come with me."

The twins followed Sue Ann into a bright sitting room. Roy was sitting in a chair, looking out a window. At what, Dean didn't know.

"Roy, dear." Sue Ann said, stomping loudly to announce her presence. "Dean and his sister Deanna are here to see you."

"Dean. Nice of you to stop by and see us." Roy offered a friendly smile in their general direction. "How are you feeling?"

Dean sat down on one of the couches. Deanna sat down next to him, sitting so close their knees were touching. "I feel great. Just, trying to you...you know. Make sense of what happened."

"A miracle is what happened." Sue Ann said happily, looking between the siblings. "Well, miracles come so often around Roy."

"When did they start?" Dean asked, looking over at Roy.

Roy smiled. "Woke up one morning, stone blind. Doctors figured out I had cancer. Told me I had maybe a month. So, we prayed for a miracle. Now, eventually I became so weak, but I told Sue Ann, 'You just keep praying.' I went into a coma. Doctors said I wouldn't wake up. But I did. And the cancer was gone." He took off his glasses to show them his useless eyes. "If it weren't for these eyes, no one would believe I'd ever had it."

"And suddenly you could heal people?" Dean asked, looking between Sue Ann and the reverend.

"I discovered it afterwards, yes." Roy smiled again. "God's blessed me in many ways."

"And his flock just swelled overnight!" Sue Ann chirped again. "And this is just the beginning!"

Dean felt Deanna stiffen next to him, and when he glanced over at her, he saw Deanna staring at Sue Ann with narrowed eyes.

He nudged her, getting her to relax, before he turned his attention back to Roy. "Can I ask you one last question?"

"Of course you can." Roy replied.

"Why? Why me? Out of all the sick people, why save me?"

Roy gave him a look that said he answered this question a lot. "Well, like I said before, the Lord guides me. I looked into your heart, and you just stood out from all the rest."

"What did you see?" Dean asked, honestly curious.

"A young man with an important purpose. A job to do. And it isn't finished."

Dean and Deanna shared a glance, before Dean stood up and shook the reverend's hand. The two stood as one to walk out the door, and were stopped when Roy spoke. "I was wondering...Deanna? Could I have a word with you?"

Deanna shared a surprise glance with Dean and then nodded. "Uh...sure."

There was silence for a moment, and Roy tilted his head to the side. "Alone. If you don't mind."

"Okay." she turned and nodded at Dean, who followed Sue Ann out of the room. He looked back at her curiously, and she shrugged. He waited until the front door shut, before speaking.

"I meant what I said, about Dean having an important purpose."

"Uh...okay." Deanna said, sitting back down on the couch. Roy followed her movements unnervingly.

Roy folded his hands in his lap. "But so do you, dear."

Deanna just blinked. "I don't understand."

Roy smiled at her. "As I said before, I'm stone cold blind. I can't see a thing. But you..." Roy trailed off and ran a hand over his mouth. "...you my dear shine so brightly, I can't help but see you."

"Excuse me? No disrespect Reverend, but that makes even less sense." Deanna pushed her hair out of her face and stared down the revered. "What are you talking about?"

"The Lord guides my hand, showing me who to heal. Those people appear to have...a sort of shining light in the darkness. It's soft, like a candle in a darkened room, and when I heal them, it flairs brightly for a moment, before disappearing. That's how I know they've been healed. You on the other hand..." he waved a hand in her general direction. "You shine even though you don't need healing. And your glow is so bright...if I had eyes, I would think it would be hard to look at you."

Deanna just stared at him incredulously. Missouri had told her that once. That she shone brightly for all the world to see. That was what drew children to her, Missouri had said. Honestly, Deanna had always been under the impression that she gave off a chocolate chip cookie flavored pheromone that attracted kids. She hadn't bought into Missouri's trailer park psychic act.

But now, Roy Le Grange, faith healer extraordinare was saying the same thing?

Deanna didn't believe in coincidences.

Roy leaned back in his chair and seemed to study her. "It's interesting, how a child such as yourself can shine so brightly, but yet have friends who thrive in the darkness."

Deanna looked up at him, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "It's interesting how a blind man can see so much." She countered.

Roy gave her a wry smile. "That is true."

Deanna stood up, and Roy stood with her. He held out his hand, and Deanna shook it immediately. "Well, thank you for the weirdness." She said, hoping her smile came through in her voice.

"Anytime." Roy said, returning her smile. Despite the coldness that she'd felt since laying eyes on Dean's 'spirit ghost, she found herself warming to the elderly man in front of her. She turned to walk away, and was almost to the door before Roy spoke behind her.

"Remember what I said, Miss Deanna. Your twin and younger brother have an important purpose still in this life, but so do you. There's going to come a day that they are going to be forced to stand against each other. When that time comes, they are going to need you to remind them what family means to you three. When that time comes, you are going to have to make difficult decisions in order to keep them safe. From the world...and from each other."

Deanna raised an eyebrow at him. "I never said Dean was my twin. I also never mentioned a younger brother."

Roy tilted his head. "It was you who pointed out I see more than I should. It just so happens that what I see, no one else does."

Deanna nodded. "Why are you telling me this?"

Roy shrugged. "No one deserves what is coming to you and your brothers. Least of all you three. But those are the cards destiny has dealt for you. I hope that with warning, you will be able to use those cards in a way that will cause the least amount of damage. To your family, and to the rest of the world. You're going to be the one that will have to protect them from the dark. I only hope your shining light will be able to keep the darkness from swallowing you whole."

Deanna stared at him for a moment longer before giving him a whispered thanks, and heading for the front porch.

Deanna opened the door in time to see Layla standing on the steps, looking at Dean with soft, sympathetic eyes, as her mother snarled words to her twin that made her want to rip the woman's head off.

"Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?"

Fury washed over Deanna, and she walked up behind her shell shocked brother. She wasn't tall by any means, only measuring a little bit over five feet. However, while she didn't have Sam's imposing height, she more than made up for it in presence.

Deanna pushed past Sue Ann, who just stood there and watched the whole thing, and planted herself in front of Dean. "Lady, I don't know who you think you are, but I suggest you walk away from my brother_. Now._"

Layla's mother glared at her. "Why? He's going to live. He's going to live and my beautiful little girl is going to shrivel up and die. He's not even a believer. It isn't fair."

Deanna glared back. "Life isn't fair. And I'm truly sorry for your loss." she nodded at Layla. "Really, Layla. That's awful, and I'm sorry." Deanna returned her gaze to the woman in front of her. "But if you come near my brother again, and you try to tell him how little his life is worth, I _will _be forced to do something not entirely Christian. And I can be very creative when given the opportunity. _Back off._"

Mrs. Rourke's eyes widened considerably, before she grabbed Layla's arm and bustled down the porch stairs.

Deanna glared at her the whole way.

O~O~O

Deanna had calmed down considerably by the time Dean had driven them back to the motel. When they walked in the door, she felt her anger shift to concern when she saw Sam sitting at the lone desk, staring at his computer, looking upset.

Dean glanced at him, and frowned. He tossed his jacket on the bed and sat down.

Sam remained silent, and his gaze shifted nervously from Dean to Deanna, and then back again.

"What'd you find out?" Dean finally asked.

Sam's gaze skittered between his siblings one more time, before he looked down at the computer keys. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

"Sorry about what?" Dean asked, staring down his little brother.

Sam visibly gulped. "Marshall Hall. He died at...at 4:17 yesterday."

Deanna's heart almost stopped. She looked over at Dean, and saw his understanding as well.

"The exact time I was healed." Dean said softly, a look of stunned horror crossing his face.

Deanna knows the feeling. She'd known something was off, but this?

"Yeah." Sam agreed. He took a deep breath and then nodded, mostly to himself. "I put together a list of everyone Roy's healed. Six people over the last year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits. Each time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time."

"So someone's healed of cancer, someone dies of cancer?" Deanna asked, reaching for the stack of papers by Sam's arm.

"Somehow, LeGrange is trading one life for another." Sam said quietly.

"Wait. So Marshall Hall...he _died_ to save me?" Dean asked, looking at Sam and Deanna. They looked at each other guiltily.

"Dean...the guy probably would have died anyway. And someone else would have been healed." It was the only argument Sam had, and the three of them knew it.

Deanna sat down on the chair next to Sam. "Oh God." she whispered.

Dean pointed at the two of them. "You never should have brought me here. _Never._"

"Dean..." Sam started. "I was just trying to save your life."

"_We _were just trying to save your life." Deanna corrected. No way was she letting Sam take all the blame. Not after it was her contact that had sent them there in the first place.

"But _now_, some guy is _dead_ because of me." Dean said, louder than he intended. Deanna flinched and Dean couldn't bring himself to care.

"I didn't know." Sam insisted. "_We _didn't know."

"What I don't understand," Deanna began, suddenly standing up from her shell shocked position at Sam's side, "Is how he's doing it. How's he trading a life for a life?" She reached over for her jacket and began digging through her pockets.

"Oh he's not doing it." Dean said, pacing the room again. "Something else is doing it for him."

Even Deanna looked up at his tone. "What do you mean?" Sam asked cautiously.

"The old man I saw on stage." Dean said. He smiled wryly. "I didn't want to believe it, but deep down I knew."

"Knew what?" Deanna asked, standing up from her position by the bed, cell phone in hand. Her fingers began to play with the keys, though she never actually pressed any of them.

"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that." Dean said. He finally sat down on the edge of one of the beds, and threaded his fingers together between his knees. Sam and Deanna exchanged confused looks, and Dean sighed. "We're dealing with a reaper."

Deanna listened to her brothers talk through the reaper theory in muted shock.

A _reaper_?

_Seriously?_

Suddenly not being able to stay in the same room with them any more, Deanna walked out the front door. She stopped when she got to the Impala, and leaned against the hood. She noticed Dean looking at her from the window, and she gave him what she hoped to be a convincing smile. He frowned at her, but then turned back to Sam.

Deanna thumbed her phone open and dialed one of the few number's she'd ever bothered to memorize. It went straight to voice mail, and Deanna waited impatiently for the tone, letting her fury build.

"Damon, it's Deanna. Call me back. _Now._"

**Author's Note: Thank you to all who are reading and sending reviews. I've become slightly addicted to the e-mails I get in my inbox that tell me someone has put this story on alert, or that someone has sent a review. So keep them coming. Also, if you feel so inclined, for those of you who leave anonymous reviews, if you send it directly to my e-mail, which is on my profile page, I will respond to them. **

**Thanks again. More to come soon. :) **


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven:

Deanna walked back into the motel room to see Dean digging through a pile of papers on the desk. She walked over and sat down next to Sam as the two of them continued their conversation they'd apparently started while she'd been outside.

"You really think it's _the _Grim Reaper?" Sam asked, giving Deanna a soft smile before turning his attention back to Dean. "Like, angel of death...collect your soul...the whole deal?"

Dean shook his head. "No. Not _the _reaper. _A _reaper. There's reaper lore in pretty much every culture on earth, go by a hundred different names. It's possible there's more than one of 'em."

"But..." Deanna took deep breath, and Dean looked over to see her trying to hold herself together. "It was a guy in a suit."

Sam turned around to gape at Deanna as Dean turned to raise an eyebrow at her, a smirk on his lips as he handed her a piece of paper on reaper lore. "What? You think he should have been rocking the whole black robe thing?"

"You saw it too?" Sam asked, leaning back in his chair and looking at her surprised. "And you two were gonna tell me this _when?_"

Deanna smirked at him. "We just did."

Dean rolled his eyes at Deanna and as Sam pointed his finger at Deanna and opened his mouth to say something, cut him off. "Look, Sam. You said it yourself that the clock stopped right?" Sam shut his mouth reluctantly and nodded. Dean tapped the paper that Deanna had set down next to her on the table. "Reapers stop time. And you can only see them when they're coming at you. Which is why I could see it and not you."

"Then how could she see it?" Sam asked, jerking his thumb at Deanna.

Dean and Deanna glanced over at each other and then shrugged. "Is that really our most pressing issue right now?" Deanna asked.

Sam narrowed his eyes at the both of them. "The next time something comes after you guys that I can't see, I want to know about it."

Deanna smiled and nodded. She nudged him with her toe. "The next time something comes after me, you will be my first call. Oh speaking of, there was this _really _big spider in the bathtub this morning..."

Sam rolled his eyes and reached over to flick her. "Brat."

"Sasquatch."

"So whenever you children are done..." Dean said, smiling at the interaction between the two. When his younger siblings turned to look at him, Dean cocked an eyebrow. "You two can help me figure out how Roy is controlling the thing."

"I'm not so sure it is Roy." Deanna said. "He...he doesn't seem like the type."

"The witch in Boston didn't seem like the type either. Or the shape shifter in St. Louis. Or that weird guy in Seattle. I'm still not even sure what that was..." Dean said, trailing off to look out the window.

Deanna glared at him.

"The cross." Sam said, looking up from the papers on the table and reaching for his duffel bag. "That's how he's doing it. I saw it in the church tent. I knew it looked familiar."

Sam pulled out a pack of cards from the bottom of his duffel and shuffled through them before handing one over to Dean. Deanna just raised an eyebrow and took the deck from Sam.

"A tarot?" Dean asked, looking at the image of Death looking back at him.

"It makes sense. Tarot cards date back to the early Christian era. Some priests were still using magic and a few of them veered into the dark stuff. Necromancy, how to keep death away and how to cause it. Stuff like that." Deanna looked up from the deck in her hands. "Is there a reason you have a working deck of tarot cards just lying around?"

"Is there a reason you actually know the history behind the tarot just off the top of your head, Miss 'I've never hunted before'?" Sam countered.

She glanced over at Sam. "I've just spent the last how many years hanging with Missouri? Besides, I didn't say I never did any work with the supernatural. I just haven't done what you two do. There's a difference."

"So Roy is using black magic to bind the reaper?" Dean asked, interrupting their conversation and handing the card to Deanna who shuffled it expertly into the deck.

"If it is Roy." Deanna countered, nimble fingers working over the cards.

"If he is, he's riding the whirlwind. It's like putting a dog leash on a great white." Sam said.

Dean began pacing again and Deanna held out the deck to Sam. "Pick a card.

Sam just glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow, earning an obnoxious smirk from his older sister.

"We're going to have to take out Roy." Dean said into the silence.

The smirk fell off of Deanna's face like water. Both her and Sam whipped their heads around to stare at him.

"Like _out..._out? Deanna asked softly. Dean just looked at her, a hardened look in his eyes that Deanna hadn't seen before.

"Dean...we can't _kill _Roy." Sam said quietly, looking up at his brother. He _did _know that look. He'd seen it only once, but he still remembered the result.

"Sam, the guy is playing God. He's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book." Dean said turning to face his siblings. Deanna had clenched her jaw shut and was staring at him with anger in her eyes.

"What happened to innocent until proven guilty?" Deanna asked.

Before Dean could answer, Sam spoke up. "We're not going to kill a human being. We do that, we're no better than he is."

Dean sighed. "Okay. Well, we can't kill Roy, and we can't kill Death. Any bright ideas?"

At that moment, Deanna's phone rang. Still staring at Dean, she reached over and snapped it up off the table.

"What?"

A few seconds later and Deanna moved her gaze from Dean and stood up, heading for the door. "Did you know?" she asked. Her voice was clipped and angry as she let the door slam shut behind her.

Dean and Sam just exchanged a look.

"So? We figure out what the black spell is?" Sam finally asked.

"And he figure out a way a to stop it." Dean finished.

O~O~O

"Did you know?" Deanna asked sharply, slamming the motel room door shut as she did. "Did you know what Roy Le Grange was doing here?"

"Well hello to you too, Deanna. So nice to hear from you again. Yes, I'm fine. How are you?" There was a voice in the background. "Oh. And Sophie says 'Hi'."

"Stow the sarcasm, Damon Salvatore." Deanna snapped. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair before softening her voice. "But...tell Sophie I said hi back."

Damon relayed the message before turning his attention back to Deanna. "I take it Dean's okay then?"

"Did you know about him trading one life for another?" Deanna asked, leaning against the Impala and sliding to the ground, back to the motel. "Did you know?"

Damon was silent for a moment before speaking. "Would it have mattered if I had known?"

Deanna felt tears pool in her eyes and wiped them away quickly. She took a deep breath, before answering. "No." She whispered quietly. "No, I guess it wouldn't have."

Damon's voice softened. "Listen, we stopped being friends a long time ago. You hate me. You remain on civil terms with me because I know how to get things done, and I know the people who can achieve those goals. I've known the Le Grange's a long time." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "And yes. I did know."

"Another set of humans you didn't eat?" Deanna asked, a smile evident in her voice. "And gee, I thought we were the special ones."

"I wasn't hungry that day." Damon snarked.

Deanna leaned her head back against the car. "You should have told me."

"You wouldn't have gone. And then you'd be down a family member. As I recall, you don't have very many of those left."

"Thanks for the reminder."

Damon chuckled. "Anything else I can do for you madam?"

"No. I think you've done enough. Now I have to keep my older brother from killing a man I'm not even sure is guilty."

"Glad I could help."

Deanna snorted softly before sobering slightly. "I don't hate you Damon. In fact...I don't hate you. But you understand why I keep my distance."

"And you understand why I keep mine." She could hear the smile in his voice. "It would hurt our girl if you suddenly turned up dead. Doesn't mean that we can't be friendly."

"And in the interest of being friendly...thank you."

"You're a good person, D. You'll make everything work out."

Deanna shook her head, and then hung up. She closed her eyes as the sound of crunching gravel sounded behind her.

"You just going to sit there all night or are you going to come in? Sam and I think we might have a plan."

Deanna turned her head and opened her eyes. "Are we still on the 'death to a human being' plan, or did we come up with something that doesn't turn us into ax murders?"

"You're angry." Dean sighed, sitting down next to her.

"You think? Jesus, Dean. You were talking about killing a man with the same casualty as I would use in discussing throwing away a pair of shoes."

"It wouldn't have been the first time." Dean whispered, threading his fingers together and turning to look at Deanna.

Deanna just blinked at him. "Wouldn't...Tell me you didn't just go out and off someone because you were mad at him. Tell me he was actually a bad guy. Or something supernatural."

"He was going to kill Sam."

Deanna was silent for a moment. "Oh."

Dean shrugged. "I don't just wake up and decide to kill people, Annie. If it were up to me, I'd never do it again. Unfortunately, in this life, I know I have to make choices that often I don't like." he nodded to the motel. "With you and Sam back, I'm finding I have to do those kinds of things less and less, but don't get me wrong. Something comes after either of you, I'm going to end them. End of story."

Deanna met Dean's gaze. "Roy Le Grange didn't threaten any of us."

Dean nodded. "He's hurting innocent people who can't fight back. Far as I'm concerned that makes him a monster, pure and simple."

Deanna pushed away from the car and stood up. "It should never be 'pure and simple' to kill someone, Dean. Never."

Dean let Deanna walk away from him before he pushed himself up as well. "His name was Michael Andrews." Deanna stopped at his tone of voice. "He had a job as a car salesman and two little boys. One was eight, and one was ten."

Deanna turned to face him, and Dean continued. "He went after Sam because Sam destroyed the remains of his wife who was hanging around and going after her own murderers. And now those little boys have to wonder every night why their father never came home." he stomped up to her. "I think about that _every day_. Don't lecture me about killing being easy. I know first hand it's not."

"Good." Deanna said, green eyes meeting the matching set across from her.

"Good?"

"Yeah. Good. 'Cause that one guy's death is what's going to keep you from killing anyone else. The way you feel right now?" She tapped his chest with a finger. "Hold onto that."

Dean did nothing but watch as his little sister walked off. Just as she got to the motel room door, she turned, hand on the door knob and gave him a sad, crooked smile. "And it's not going to work. The whole 'if I tell her what awful things I've done, she'll walk away' theory. It's crap. I told you once, and I'll tell you again. You're stuck with me. Get used to it."

Dean watched again as Deanna slammed a door shut in his face, and scuffled his feet in the gravel. "Good to know." he whispered to the wind.

The door opened again. "Are you just going to stand there all night? Come on! We've got work to do!"

Dean grinned and ran for the door.

To his family.

O~O~O

Dean watched as Sam slipped quietly around the side of the Le Grange's house, and then turned back to the parking lot to where Deanna was supposed to be hanging out. Even wearing a red sweater, Dean couldn't see her. The thought made him both proud and nervous at the same time.

He flinched when he saw Layla and her mother walk into the tent. The woman's words had stung, mostly because he didn't have an answer to her cruel question. Why did he deserve to live more than Layla? What made him better than her?

Granted he knew he wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a bad person either. But he'd been willing to bet that she was a whole hell of a lot better person that he was.

So why did she deserve to die?

A flash of red out of the corner of his vision had him turning around and searching for Deanna again. If she'd found the reaper...

But no. It was just an old woman with an umbrella.

_'You're saying you can become invisible?'_

_"Not invisible silly. You have got to lay off the Harry Potter. But...people see what they want to see. It's insane how easy it is to go unnoticed."_

Dean hoped she was right. He didn't want to test her theory about Roy not being dangerous on a shaky maybe.

He didn't want her to find out first hand that she was wrong.

Lost in his thoughts, Dean almost jumped when his phone vibrated against his leg.

"What do you got?" he asked without preamble.

Sam's voice was breathless on the other side. "Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. And I think I know who's next."

"Yeah?" Dean asked, turning for the now crowded tent.

"Yeah. Remember that protester?"

Dean stopped. "The guy in the parking lot?"

The one who was no longer there.

"Yeah. Listen, I'll call Annie, and we'll find him, but you can't let Roy heal anyone, okay?"

Dean snapped his phone shut with a curse and hurried into the tent. Roy had just gone up to the stage, and was holding his hand out.

"Layla. Layla Rourke, come up here child."

Dean felt his heart fall through his stomach. "No..." he whispered to himself as Layla smiled and stood up, giving her mother a warm hug.

_'Why do you deserve to live more than my daughter?'_

Dean walked up to Layla as she made her way to the aisle and gently touched her arm. "Layla, listen to me. You can't go up there." he whispered to her, hating himself for every word that came out of his mouth.

"Why not? We've waited for months." Layla whispered back, looking at him in confusion.

"You...you can't let Roy heal you." Dean said, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

Layla shook her head, "I don't understand. Roy healed you, didn't he? Why wouldn't I at least let him try?"

"Because if you do, something bad is going to happen." Damon shook his head, pleading with her now. "I can't explain. I just need you to trust me."

He was wearing her down, he could tell. But apparently while Layla stood there studying him, Sue Ann decided it was time to move things along.

"Layla." She said gently, holding out her hand. "Layla, come here child."

Layla turned to Sue Ann and then gently pulled her arm from Dean's grip. "I'm sorry." she whispered.

"Layla!" Dean hissed at her, ignoring the look of hatred her mother shot his way.

Layla practically skipped up to the stage with Sue Ann, and Dean found himself hesitating as she spoke with Roy for a few moments.

She was a good person with a whole life ahead of her. She _should _be healed.

A voice in the back of his head, sounding suspiciously like Deanna suddenly spoke up. _'Who's playing God now?'_

Dean closed his eyes in shame and self loathing for a moment before looking back up on the stage. As Roy reached his hand for Layla, Deann took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to ruin Layla's dreams.

"Fire! There's a fire! Everyone out of here!"

People started to get up and file out of the tent, but all Dean could see was Layla's heart broken expression, asking why.

Dean turned away and reached for his phone.

"Tell me you saved him."

If they saved David, maybe it would be worth killing Layla's hope.

Maybe if Dean kept telling himself that, he'd believe it.

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the delay in updating. Life sorta decided to screw some things up, and I didn't really feel like writing there for a while. But I'm back, getting back into the swing of things, including writing, so chapters should be coming up a bit faster. I hope you all decide to stick with me. Thanks again for the reviews and encouragement. I honestly cannot thank people enough. **


	13. Update!

Hi guys...

So, I've recently had an issue with a person in my real life encroaching on my life online. Since he is NOT welcome in my real life, he is most certainly not welcome here. However, due to lying to and manipulating a family member during the craziness that has become my life, he has invaded my space. To be fair, the certain family member thought he was helping. He just didn't realize he wasn't helping me. Anyway, I have been forced to relocate my stories and other creations. I'm changing my pen name, and removing all my stories.

I'm sorry for those of you who were supporting me.

For those of you who left a review or added me to your story alert or favorites or anything like that, I am going to send you an e-mail with my new pen name and e-mail. In one week I will shut this portion down for good and will no longer be posting on this particular profile.

I've started a profile over on livejournal, and have that link posted on my new profile.

Again, I apologize. I hope you all can learn from my mistakes and not put personal or true information out on the internet.

You never know who might be looking to cause trouble.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding. I hope to see all of you soon in my new home.

-Merri.

I think I have fixed it so that certain person cannot get on again, but if you get e-mails or chapters from me that are rude, inconciderate, crude, crass or anything like that, I assure you it is not me, and I am working to rectify the situation as soon as possible.


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